LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

DEC  0  9  2009 

•* 

THEOLOGiCAL  SEMIN»ARY 


I  ALUMNI  LIBRARY,  * 

#  '  * 

I  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY,  | 

^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


J        CW,  D.vi5,on.S\A!^\.3l....;| 

Section. 


D101.68   .S55  1833 
Shimeall,  R.   C.  (Richard 
Cunningham) ,   1803-1874 . 
A  complete  ecclesiastical 
chart  from  the  earliest 
records ,  ... 


LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

DEC  0  9  2009 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

KEY 

TO  ACCOMPANY 

/ 

THE  REV.  R.  C.  SHIMEALL'S 
CHART. 


NEW- YORK: 

1833. 


DORR  AXD  BVTTEKFIELD's  PRINT. 


COMPLETE 

ECCLESIASTICAL  CHART, 

From  the  earliest  Records, 
SACRED  AND  PROFANE, 

DOWN  TO  THE  PRESENT  DAY  ;  SHOWING  ITS  CONNECTION  WITH 

CIVIL  HISTORY  AND  PROPHECY: 

And  exhibiting  at  a  single  view,  the 

IDENTITY  AND  PERPETUITY 


IN  HER  ADVERSE  AND  PROSPEROUS  STATES,  UNDER  THE 

jEosaic  anlr  dtf^viutian  Bi'spensattons, 

And  embracing  a  detailed  account  of  the  Pohtical  Events,  External 
History,  Internal  Government,  Rehgious  Observances,  and 
growmg  corruptions  of  the  Church  ;  and  of  the 

REFORMATION: 

AND  EMBRACING  THE  NAMES  OF 

REMARKABLE  PERSONS; 
Viz. 

Bishops,  Popes,  Martyrs,  Writers,  Doctors,  Philosophers, 
Emperors,  6fc. 

And  a  general  survey  of 
Doctrines,  Sects,  Councils,  and  Prevailing  Philosophy ; 
The  comparative  Rise,  Revolutions,  and  Fall,  of  the 
PBINCIPAL  EMPIRES  IN  THE  WORLD, 

And  a  complete  Nucleus  to  the 
FULFILMENT  OF  PROPHECY  OF  THE  WHOLE. 
ACCOMPANIED  WITH  A  KEY. 


BY  THE  REV.  R.  C.  SHIMEALL, 

Author  of  a  Chart  of  Sacred  History,  Chronology,  Geography,  and 
Genealogy,  and  of  Bible  Questions. 


1833. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 


In  presenting  this  work  to  the  public,  no  other  apology  will  be 
offered  for  any  defects  or  inaccuracies,  than  that  which  arises  from 
the  extreme  difficulties  to  be  encountered,  from  an  attempt  wholly 
to  avoid  them,  in  a  work  so  complicated.  Whether  the  diagrams 
which  relate  to  the  fluctuating  conditions  both  of  the  world  and 
the  Church,  will  in  every  instance  be  found  to  accord  with  the 
strictest  principles  of  comparison,  I  shall  not  pretend  to  say. — 
Faithfulness  and  impartiality,  however,  have  been  regarded  through- 
out. And  when  it  is  apparent  that  either  of  these  qualities  are 
wanting,  it  is  hoped  that  the  liberally  disposed  at  least,  will  attri- 
bute it  to  any  thing  but  a  want  of  disposition  to  make  an  honest  use 
of  all  the  helps  available,  during  the  prosecution  of  the  work. 

In  the  following  Key  to  the  Chart,  much  more  explanatory  mat- 
ter  is  given  under  the  era  of  the  Jewish,  than  of  the  Christia.v 
Church.  The  reason  is,  the  difference  of  space  appropriated  to 
each  department,  and  the  consequent  difference  in  the  amount  of 
history. 

For  the  want  of  space  on  the  surface  of  the  Chart,  the  connection 
of  the  Civil  and  Ecclesiastical  History,  with  Prophecy,  is  mserted 
in  the  Key.  Newton  on  the  Prophecies ;  the  Rev.  John  Fry,  B.  A., 
late  of  University  College,  Oxford,  and  Author  of  an  Exposition  of 
the  Second  Advent,  &c.  &c. ;  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Jones,  Curate 
of  Creation,  and  Author  of  Scripture  Directory,  &c.,  have  been 
consulted  at  large,  particularly  the  latter,  from  which  extracts  have 
been  freely  made. 

Whatever  of  correctness  may  be  ascribed  to  these  views  of 
prophecy  as  to  the  past,  there  is  much  room  for  speculation  in  re- 
gard to  those  which  are  future.  The  reader  will  therefore  consider 
himself  licensed  to  adopt  these  or  other  views,  as  a  course  of  gen- 
eral  reading  and  his  own  judgment  may  dictate. 

1* 


vi 

With  these  ordinary,  and  therefore  necessary  harbingers  of  all 
authorship  premised,  I  send  out  my  Great  Circle  ; — which,  though 
It  encompasses  a  delineation  on  the  one  hand  of  the  result  of  mis- 
guided and  bloodthirsty  ambition  in  the  Rise,  Revolutions,  and  Fall 
of  Nations,  Kingdoms,  and  Empires ;  and  on  the  other,  of  the 
painful  vicissitudes  of  the  "  Church  of  the  living  God,"  as  she 
has  advanced  in  Her  uninterrupted  "  Course  of  time,"  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  world  to  the  present  day ;  will,  from  its  unity  and 
beauty,  in  some  humble  degree,  ser\'e  as  an  intimation  of  her  final 
recovery  to  a  state  of  eternal  peace  and  glory. 

R  C.  S. 

ISew-York,  July,  1833. 


V 


ECCLESL4STICAL  CHART,  &c. 


EXPLANATION 

OF  THE 

ALLSGORZCAXi  PZCTUREp 

IN  THE  CENTRE  OF  THE  CHART. 


The  design  of  this  Picture  is.  to  present 
to  view  the  distinctive  features  of  the  History 
of  the  Church,  under  the  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian dispensations,  as  exhibited  in  the 

The  upper  part  of  the  picture  relates  to  the 
History  of  the  Jewish  Church  ;  the  loiver^  to 
the  History  of  the  Christian  Church. 

The  first  establishment  of  the  Church  com- 
mences its  date  with  the  promise  which  God 
made  to  fallen  man.  Gen.  iii.  15.  Its  perpe- 
tuity from  that  time  to  the  giving  of  the  Law 
at  Sinai,  is  represented  by  its  preservation  in 
the  Ark  through  the  family  of  Noah,  which 
is  seen  resting  upon  the  summit  of  Ararat. 
while  the  resplendent  bou\  the  seal  of  the 
Covenant  entered  into  with  the  Father  of  the 
second  world,  raises  its  azure  arch  over  the 
whole,  in  token  of  God  s  future  favour  and 
protection. 


From  this  you  pass  to  the  annunciation  of 
the  Law  upon  Sinai.  The  interval  between 
that  event,  and  the  establishment  of  Chris- 
tianity, presents  to  view,  (1.)  the  Genius  of 
the  Jewish  (Economy,  standing  between  two 
altars.  This  personage  is  looking  to  the  one 
on  the  rights  upon  which  a  sacrifice  is  burn- 
ing, which  represents  that  (Economy  in  its 
perfect  state ;  while  she  is  pointing  to  the  one 
on  her  left,  which  is  crumbling  and  falling  to 
the  ground,  to  the  Lamb,  which  is  fleeing 
into  the  wilderness,  and  to  the  knife  of  cir- 
cumcision, wiiich  lies  broken  in  two  pieces, 
before  the  scattered  fragments  of  the  altar : 
all  designed  to  represent  the  peculiar  nature 
and  design  of  that  (Economy,  as  explained 
by  the  following  passages.  For  the  law, 
having  a  shadow  of  good  things  to  come,  and 
not  the  very  image  of  the  things,  can  never, 
with  those  sacrifices  which  they  offered  year 
by  year  continually,  make  the  comers  there- 
unto perfect.  For  it  is  not  possible  that  the 
blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  should  take  away 
sins."  Therefore,  he  taketh  aicay  the  first,^' 
or  JEWISH  (Economy,  which,  "  like  a  gar- 
ment," was  to  "  w  ax  old,"  and  finally  to 
"  vanish  aw^ay,"  that  he  may  establish  the 
second:''  or  CHRISTIAN  (Economy. 

The  next  personage  is,  the  Genius  of  His- 
tory, directing  the  attention  of  posterity  to 
the  unfulfilled  predictions,  relative  to  the  es- 
tablishment, progress,  and  final  triumph  of  the 
Christian  Religion,  pointing  with  her  left 


3 


hand  to  the  Incarnate  Word,  represented  in 
the  vignette  at  the  opening  of  the  first  Cen- 
tury, as  receiving  the  adoration  of  the  wise 
men. 

Then  follows,  as  the  principal  figure  in 
the  picture,  the  grand  organ  through  which 
Christianity  has  been  and  is  to  be  propagated ; 
the  Genius  of  the  Apostolic  Mimstry.  She, 
with  her  right  hand  is  offering  the  Word  of 
God,  the  holy  Scriptures,  to  the  four  quarters 
of  the  Globe,  each  of  which  has  its  appropri- 
ate representative ;  the  Asiatic^  the  African. 
the  European^  and  the  American.  All  these 
are  seen  pressing  forward  to  embrace  the 
offered  gift  with  the  utmost  avidity,  while 
they  are  directed  to  the  Genius  of  the  Chris- 
tian Religion,  to  whom  this  personage  is 
pointing  with  her  left  hand,  with  a  view  to 
draw  the  Contrast  between  the  distinctive 
features  of  the  Ceremonial  and  Gospel  dispen- 
sations. Here  the  Cross,  the  Anchor  of  the 
believer's  hopes,  takes  the  place  of  the  Altar. 
and  the  exalted  Redeemer,  to  whom  the  eye 
of  faith  is  directed,  that  of  the  typical  victim. 

The  several  objects  brought  to  view  in  the 
foreground  of  the  picture,  are  intended  to 
represent  the  successive  triumphs  of  the 
Christian  Religion,  over  the  three  great  per- 
secuting powers  of  the  Church  :  The  Pagan, 
the  Papal  or  Anti-Christian,  and  the  Infi- 
del. The  destruction  of  Paganism  is  repre- 
sented bv  an  Idol  thrown  down  from  its 
pedestal,  and  its  huge  bulk  broken,  and  lying 


4 


on  the  ground  in  scattered  fragments. — Next 
follow  the  paraphernalia  of  the  Romish 
Hierarchy,  the  principal  of  which  are,  the 
triple  crown^  which  is  turned  "  upside  down/' 
and  the  infallible  key^  which  is  severed  in  two 
pieces. — Finally,  the  Hydra  of  Infidelity,  ha-^^^- 
mg  lost  one  head,  together  with  its  poisonous 
sting,  and  received  a  death  wound  in  another, 
is  emitting  a  flame  of  wrathful  indignation 
against  the  Genius  of  the  Apostolic  Ministry, 
as  its  last  expiring  effort,  to  impede  the  pro- 
gress of  the  gospel. 

You  then  pass  on  to  a  representation  of 

the  PEACEABLE  KINGDOM  OF  THE  BRANCH,  when 

swords''  shall  be  beaten  ^'  into  ploughsharevS," 
and    spears  into  pruning  hooks     and  when 

nation  shall  cease  to  lift  up  sword  against 
nation,"  or  "learn  war  any  more" — when 
"  the  icolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamh^  and 
the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid ;  and 
the  calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  fatling 
together ;  and"  when  a  little  child  shall  lead 
them" — And  when  there  shall  be  none  "to 
hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  God's  holy  mountain," 
the  "  earth  being  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord." 


XSXPLANATXOir 


OF  THE 

TWO  PRINCIPAL,  DIVISIONS 

OF  THE 

CIRCLE. 


The  Circle  of  this  Chart,  which  embraces  the  His- 
tory of  the  Church  under  the  Mosaic  and  Christian  dis- 
pensations, is  divided  into  two  unequal  parts.  The  lesser 
of  these  two  divisions  is  appropriated  to  the  ^Era  of  the 
Jewish  Church ;  the  greater,  to  the  ^Era  of  the  Christian 
Church. 

PART  FIRST. 

.ERA  OF  THE  JEWISH  CHURCH. 
This  era  is  divided  into  four  equal  parts  of  1000  years 
each.  This  4000  years  is  again  divided  into  40  Centu- 
ries, by  VFRTiCAL  hnes,  which  are  numbered  along  the  bot- 
tom margin,  and  these  again  into  ten  equal  parts  of  ten 
years  each,  by  circular  lines.  The  names  of  Persons, 
interspersed  through  this  ^ra  to  the  end,  as  Seth,  Enos, 
Cainan,  Mahalaleel,  &;c.  are  placed  at  the  date  when 
each  flourished ;  and  the  lines  which  pass  from  one 
name  to  the  other,  and  which  are  colored  yellow,  desig- 
nate the  perpetuity  of  the  Church  through  those  persons, 
while  her  increase  and  decrease,  or  her  prosperous  and 
adverse  conditions,  are  exhibited  by  the  expansion  or  con- 
traction of  those  lines.  This  method  of  illustrating  the 
external  condition  of  the  Church  by  Diagrams,  is  designed 
to  present  to  view  the  general  features  of  that  department 
of  its  history  within  any  given  period  :  For  instance — the 
Church,  which  first  embraced  in  its  bosom  the  common 
parents  of  us  all,  Adam  and  Eve,  grew  to  some  magni- 
tude at  the  period  of  the  birth  of  Seth,  and  continued  to 


6 


increase  from  Seth  to  Enos.  Between  Enos  and  Cainan. 
there  was  a  great  ingathering  into  the  Church,  but  an 
awful  defection  ensued  between  Cainan  and  Mahalaleel, 
when  Polytheism  or  idolatry  began  to  gain  an  ascendency 
over  the  minds  of  men.  Further  in  advance,  when  the 
Church  entered  Egypt,  she  numbered  only  66  souls  ! 
When  she  left  Egypt,  she  numbered  about  2,000,000  ! ! ! 
In  this  way  we  can  form  a  tolerably  correct  idea  of  the 
comparative  prevalence  of  the  knowledge  and  worship  of 
the  OxE  True  God,  with  the  extent  of  Idolatry,  which 
pervaded  all  the  ancient  nations  of  the  globe,  as  may  be 
seen  by  consulting  the  summary  view  of  all  the  ancient 
Religions,  as  exhibited  under  the  space  occupied  as  the 
^ra  of  the  Jewiish  Church. 

The  ^ra  of  the  Jewish  Church  is  divided  into  six  peri- 
ods,  which  will  be  found  along  the  bottom  margin — and 
are  as  follows  : — 

1.  The  Antediluvian  Period. 

2.  The  Noahic  Period. 

3.  The  Abrahamic  Period. 

4.  The  Mosaic  Period. 

5.  The  Regal  and  Prophetic  Period.  And 

6.  The  Sacerdotal  Period. 

1.  The  Antediluvian  Period  embraces  1656  years, 
from  the  Creation  to  the  Deluge.  The  characteristic 
events  of  this  period  are  (1.)  The  Creation.  (2.)  The 
fall  of  man.  (3.)  The  promise  of  a  Saviour.  (4.)  The 
murder  of  Abel.  (5.)  The  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  the  days  of  Enos.  (6.)  The  birth  of  Noah. 
(7.)  The  intermarriages  of  the  sons  of  Seth  with  the 
wicked  daughters  of  Cain,  which  resulted  (8.)  In  the  de- 
struction of  the  world  by  the  deluge,  from  which  Noah 
and  his  family  only  were  preserved. 

I.  Ecclesiastical  History.  The  ecclesiastical  history  of 
this  period  relates  to  the  first  constitution  of  the  Church 
of  God,  founded  upon  the  promise.  Gen.  iii.  15.  The  two 
vignettes,  representing  the  offerings  of  Abel  and  Cain,  and 
the  deluge,  designate  the  extreme  points  of  this,  as  the 
others  which  follow  in  order,  do  most  of  the  subse(^uent 


7 


periods.  In  the  early  part  of  the  history  of  the  Churchy 
in  this  period,  her  annals  were  stained  with  the  blood  of 
the  first  martyr,  Abel.  About  500  years  after,  Enoch 
was  translated  to  heaven.  In  the  first  of  these  events, 
we  are  furnished  with  the  peculiar  marks  characteristic 
of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  by  which  the  Church  in 
all  subsequent  ages  was  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
world,  together  with  a  typical  allusion  to  the  persecution 
which  the  former  was  to  suffer  from  the  latter;  while 
this  last  event  was  intended  as  a  sure  pledge  of  her  final 
triumph,  and  glorious  immortality.  In  the  after  ages  of 
this  period  the  Church  became  almost  extinct,  in  the  midst 
of  surrounding  idolatry,  being  confined  exclusively  to  the 
family  of  righteous  Noah  in  the  ark,  as  the  medium 
through  which  to  transmit  to  future  ages,  the  knowledge 
and  worship  of  the  true  God. 

II.  Civil  History.  Government,  during  this  period, 
was  exclusively  Patriarchal. 

III.  Prophecy.  The  only  prophecy  uttered  during  this 
period,  (except  that  of  Lamech  concerning  Noah,  Gen. 
v.  29,)  refers  to  the  promised  Messiah,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  is  recorded  in  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis 
and  15th  verse.  The  import  of  this  prediction  is  given  in 
1st  John  iii.  8.  For  lis  fulfilment,  see  Gal.  iv.  4. ;  Matt, 
i.  18—25. 

2.  The  NoAHic  Period  embraces  427  years,  from  the 
Deluge  to  the  calling  of  Abraham.  The  events  for  which 
this  period  is  distinguished  are,  (1.)  The  resting  of  the 
ark  upon  Mount  Ararat.  (2.)  The  offering  of  Noah. 
(3.)  God's  Covenant  with  him.  (4.)  The  repeopling 
the  world  by  his  descendants.  (5.)  The  building  of  Ba- 
bel.   And  (6.)  The  Confusion  of  tongues,  and  dispersion. 

I.  Ecclesiastical  History.  The  distinctive  features  of 
true  religion,  as  it  existed  previous  to  the  time  of  Noah, 
and  which  consisted  in  following  those  duties  which  were 
dictated  by  the  light  of  nature  not  only,  but  in  the  requi- 
sitions of  repentance  for  sin,  faith  in  the  promised  Saviour, 
trust  in  the  mercy  of  God  through  him,  and  the  offering 
up  of  sacrifices  ;  were  perpetuated.  The  event  most  in- 
teresting to  the  Church  during  this  period  was,  God's 

2 


8 


entering  into  covenant  with  Noah  and  his  seed,  as  described 
Gen.  ix,  8 — 17.  The  knowledge  and  worship  of  the  true 
God  was  retained  by  the  descendants  of  Japheth  and  Shem, 
while  those  of  Ham  generally,  fell  into  the  grossest  idol- 
atry. 

II.  Civil  History,  Government  still  remained  Patbi- 
ARCHAL,  with  the  additional  magisterial  authority,  as  now 
for  the  first  given  to  Noah,  Gen.  ix,  6. 

III.  Prophecy.  Comiected  with  this  period  are  a  class 
of  prophecies  which  relate  to  Ham  and  Canaan,*  Shem 
and  Japheth.  For  a  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  which 
related  to  Ham  and  Canaan,  Gen.  ix.  25  and  27,  last 
clause,  compare  Joshua  ix.  3 — 7,  with  verses  21  and  23. 
See  also  1  Kings  ix.  20,  21  ;  and  2  Chron.  viii.  7,  8,  9. 
That  concerning  Shem,  Gen.  ix.  26.  Through  the  pos- 
terity of  Shem,  the  Church  was  preserved,  from  the  days 
of  NOAH  to  CHRIST,  and  of  them,  "  as  concerning  the 
flesh,  Christ  came,"  John  i.  14  ;  Rom.  ix,  4,  5.  During 
the  interval,  "  in  the  tents  of  Shem,"  the  Shechinah  dwelt, 
first  in  the  Tabernacle,  then  in  the  Temple,  Ex.  xxv.  22  ; 
Lev.  xvi.  2  ;  Num.  vii.  89 ;  Ps.  Ixxx.  1.  For  the  fulfill, 
ment  of  the  prophecy  relating  to  Japheth,  see  Gen.  x. 
1—5;  Malachi  i.  2;  Acts  xi;  1—23;  Eph.  ii.  11—15. 
The  territory  of  country  possessed  by  the  numerous  pos- 
terity of  Japheth,  evince  the  actual  fulfilment  of  this  pre- 
diction. The  Greeks  and  Romans,  who  descended  from 
Japheth,  finally  subdued  Judea  and  part  of  Asia,  which 
belonged  to  Shem,  and  thus  "dwelt"  in  his  'Uents." 
Japheth  was  blessed  spiritually,  when  the  Gentiles  were 
received  into  the  Christian  Church. 


3.  The  Abrahamic  Period  embraces  430  years,  from 
the  call  of  that  Patriarch  to  leave  Mesopotamia  to  go  to 
Canaan,  till  the  giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai. 

*  The  curse  denounced  against  Ham  and  Canaan,  and  the  bless- 
ings promised  to  Shem  and  Japheth,  reached  beyond  themselves, 
to  their  posterities.  Ham  and  Canaan  at  first  measurably  subdued 
those  of  Shem  and  Japheth,  till  Egypt,  "the  land  of  Ham,"  (Psa. 
cv.  23,)  was  finally  conquered  by  the  Persians  and  Grecians,  the 
posterities  of  Shem  and  Japheth.  Africa,  settled  by  Ham,  for  cen. 
turies  past,  has  for  the  most  part  been  subjected,  first  to  the  Ro- 
mans,  then  to  the  Saracens,  and  now  to  the  Turks. 


9 


The  events  most  interesting  in  this  period  are,  (1.)  The 
calling  of  Abraham.  (2.)  God's  covenant  with  him. 
(3.)  His  separation  from  Lot  his  nephew.  (4.)  The  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha.  (5.)  The  birth  and 
banishment  of  Ishmael.  (6.)  The  promise  of  Isaac. 
(7.)  His  birth.  (8.)  The  trial  of  Abraham's  faith.  (9.) 
Isaac's  marriage.  (10.)  The  birth  of  Esau  and  Jacob. 
(11.)  The  purchase  of  the  birthright  by  Jacob  from  Esau. 
(12.)  EssLU  supplanted  by  Jacob  in  obtaining  the  blessing. 
(13.)  Birth  of  Joseph.  (14.)  He  is  sold  and  carried  to 
Egypt.  (15.)  The  famine  in  Canaan.  (16.)  Jacob's 
sons  sent  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn,  &c.  &;c.,  which  results  in 
Joseph's  being  made  known  to  them,  and  Jacob's  removal 
with  his  family  thither.  And  (17.)  The  great  increase 
of  the  Hebrews  or  Israehtes,  the  descendants  of  Jacob, 
while  there. 

I.  Ecclesiastical  History.  Under  the  roof  of  the  Pa- 
triarch Abraham,  the  Church  of  God,  which  before  was 
in  an  unembodied  state,  was  now  regularly  organized,  by 
the  institution  of  the  seal  of  CiRCUMcisioN,  by  which,  as 
a  visible  society,  she  was  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
surrounding  nations  of  idolatry.  The  Most  High  also  at 
this  time  entered  into  covenant  with  Abraham  and  his 
seed,  as  a  further  confirmation  of  pledges  previously  given, 
regarding  the  promised  seed,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and 
of  the  future  possession,  by  his  posterity,  of  the  land  of 
Canaan.  Abraham's  expostulation  with  God  in  behalf  of 
the  devoted  cities  of  the  plain,  and  Lot's  dehverance  there- 
from, evince  the  special  care  and  protection  of  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church,  in  her  preservation  under  every  exi- 
gency. Abraham,  who  hesitated  whether  to  comply  with 
Sarah's  request  to  banish  Ishmael,  finally  yielded  to  the 
divine  command  to  "hearken  unto  her  voice,"  being 
assured,  that  it  was  not  in  Ishmael,  but  "  in  Isaac  "  that 
his  "seed"  should  be  "called."  This  command,  how- 
ever,  was  accompanied  with  promises  both  of  protection 
and  blessing  to  Ishmael.  The  Church  passed  through  the 
Patriarchal  line  from  Isaac  to  Jacob,  in  whose  family  it 
was  preserved  in  Egypt  for  the  period  of  215  years,  and 
from  66  souls,  increased  to  about  2,000,000  ! ! ! 

II.  Civil  History.    Government,  Patriarchal. 


10 


III.  Prophecy.  The  first  which  we  shall  mention,  are 
those  which  relate  (1.)  to  Abraham,  Gen.  xv.  3;  xvii.  1, 
6,  7  ;  xviii.  18  ;  xxi.  12  ;  xxii.  18  ;  (2.)  to  Isaac,  Gen. 
XX vi,  4  ;  and  (3.)  to  Jacob,  Gen.  xxviii.  14  ;  who  were 
to  be  blessed  in  Christ,  as  his  honored  progenitors.  For 
a  fulfillment  of  these  prophecies,  compare  Gal.  iii.  8,  and 
Heb.  iv.  2.  with  Matt.  i.    Mark  xvi.  15,  16  ;  Rev.  i.  6. 

Other  prophecies  which  relate  to  Ahralmm,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  refer  to  the  possession  of  the  land  of  Canaan  by 
their  posterities,  after  their  subjection  to  servitude  in  a 
land  which  is  not  theirs,  (Gen.  xv.  13 — 16,)  for  the  space 
of  430  years.  See  this  fulfilled,  Ex.  v.  vii.  xii.  29—39  ; 
Ex.  i.  7—12  ;  Deut.  xxvi.  5 ;  x.  22  ;  Josh.  iv.  10—18. 
To  Isaac  and  Rebecca,  concerning  F,sau  and  Jacob, 
(1.)  Ttvo  nations  were  to  descend  from  them,  Gen.  xxv. 
2S,  Jirst  clause.  Fulfilled,  Genesis  xxxvi.  43,  and  xxxii. 
32  ;  2  Kings  xvii.  34.  (2.)  Their  professions  and  cha- 
racters were  to  be  different,  and  the  former,  the  enemies 
of  the  latter.  Gen.  xxv.  23,  second  clause  ;  2  Chron.  xxv.. 
14,  15  ;  Exodus  ii.  25  ;  Deut.  xi.  13  ^2o  ;  xxxiii.  29  ; 
Ezek.  xxv.  12  ;  Amos  i.  11  ;  Obadiah  i.  10  ;  Num.  xx, 
(3.)  The  subjection  of  the  elder  to  the  younger.  Fulfilled, 

1  Kings  xi.  16  ;  2  Samuel  viii.  14  ;  2  Kings,  xiv.  7  ; 

2  Chron.  xxv.  12  ;  1  Kings  iv.  21.  The  Edomites  at 
first  were  more  numerous  and  powerful  than  the  Israelites, 
Gen.  xxxvi,  31.  They  revolted  under  the  reign  of  Jero- 
boam, king  of  Judah,  2  Kings  viii.  20  ;  2  Chronicles  xxi. 
8 — 10,  and  regained  the  liberty  which  they  lost  under 
David.  Finally,  they  were  subdued  under  Judas  Macca- 
bees, and  incorporated  with  the  Jews.  (4.)  Their  temporal 
blessings  were  to  be  similar,  Gen.  xxtii.  28,  39.  Fulfilled, 
Gen.  xxxvi,  6 — 8  ;  Num.  xx.  17  ;  Deut.  xi,  9 — 12  ; 
xxxiii.  26 — 29.  And  (5.)  The  Edomites,  or  descendants 
of  Esau,  were  to  be  finally  destroyed,  Jer.  xlix,  7,  8  ; 
Ezek.  xxv.  12 — 14  ;  Joel  iii.  19  ;  Amos  i.  11 ;  Obadiah 
v.  1 — 16  ;  Malachi  i.  1 — 5.  As  a  nation,  they  are  now 
extinct,  their  name  not  having  been  known  since  the  first 
century. 

The  predictions  of  Jacob  concerning  his  twelve  sons. 
(1.)  Reuben,  Gen.  xhx.  3,  4.  Fulfilled,  1  Chron.  v.  1 : 
2  Kings  XV.  27--29.    (2.)  Simeon  and  Levi,  Gen.  xlix. 


11 


5—7.  Fulfilled,  Josh.  xix.  1—19;  xxi.  1-— 8  ;  1  Chron. 
iv.  39.  [3.]  Judah,  Gen.  xlix,  8,  9,  11,  12.  Fulfilled, 
Num.  ii.  9 ;  vii.  12 ;  x.  14 ;  ii.  3 ;  Judges  i.  1,  2 ;  Josh. 
XV.  1—12.  [4.]  Zehulun,  Genesis  xlix.  13.  Fulfilled, 
Josh.  xix.  10 — 16.  [5.]  Issacliar  and  Aslier,  Gen.  xlix. 
14,  15,  and  verse  20.  The  tribe  of  Issachar,  as  the  pro- 
phecy denotes,  was  industrious  and  unambitious,  and  that 
of  Asher  enjoyed  a  most  luxuriant  country  ;  but  both  are 
little  known  in  subsequent  history.  [6.]  Dan^  Gen.  xlix. 
16—18.  Fulfilled,  Genesis  xxx.  6  ;  Num.  x.  25;  Deut. 
xxxiii.  21 ;  Judges  xiv.  xv.  xvii.  xviii.  [7.]  Gad,  Gen. 
xKx.  19.  Fulfilled,  Judges  x.  8 ;  1  Chron.  v,  11—22. 
[8.]  Naphtali,  Gen.  xhx.  21.  Fulfilled,  Judges  iv.  6 — 10  ; 
V.  18.  [9.]  Joseph,  Gen.  xhx.  22,  26.  Fulfilled,  Josh, 
xvii.  14—17.  [10.]  Benjamin,  Gen.  xlix.  22,  26.  Ful. 
filled,  Judges  iii.  15 — 29;  xx.  [H.]  Manasseh  and 
Ephraim,  Genesis  xlviii.  19.  The  younger  was  to  be 
greater  than  the  elder.  The  tribe  of  Ephraim  became  so 
great,  as  sometimes  to  be  counted  for  all  the  ten  tribes  of 
Israel. 

Joseph  predicted  the  deliverance  of  the  Israelites  from 
Egypt,  Gen.  1.  24,  25.  Fulfilled,  Ex.  xiii.  19;  Joshua 
xxiv,  32. 

4.  The  Mosaic  Period  embraces  436  years,  from  the 
giving  of  the  law  at  Sinai,  to  the  accession  of  Saul  to  the 
throne  of  Israel.  The  events  remarkable  in  this  period 
are,  [1.]  Moses'  hirth  and  mission.  [2.]  The  infliction  of 
the  ten  plagues  upon  Egypt.  [3.]  The  final  deliverance 
of  the  Israelites  from  Egyptian  bondage.  [4.]  The  giving 
of  the  law  at  Sinai.  [5.]  Forty  ye^rs  jour neyings  of  the 
Israelites  through  the  wilderness.  [6.]  Their  entrance 
into  the  land  of  Canaan.  And  [7.]  Their  government  by 
Judges. 

1.  Ecclesiastical  History.  The  Church  in  Egypt  had 
now  groaned  for  215  years,  under  the  most  cruel  bondage. 
At  length  her  cries  entered  into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  of 
Sabaoth,  and  he  raised  up  Moses,  to  be  the  instrument  of 
their  dehverance.  Pharaoh's  refusal  to  let  the  Israelites 
go,  according  to  the  command  of  God,  brought  upon  him 
and  the  Egyptians  the  miraculous  infliction,  by  the  hand 
2* 


12 


of  Moses,  of  ten  of  the  most  awful  plagues,  that  ever  vis- 
ited any  people.  The  result  was,  their  salvation,  and  the 
total  destruction  of  himself  and  army  in  the  Red  Sea. 
Before  the  Church  left  Egypt,  the  Passover  was  insti- 
tuted, and  in  the  wilderness,  the  Priesthood  was  established 
with  Aaron  and  his  sons.  The  song  sung  by  the  Israel- 
ites after  crossing  the  Red  sea,  was  soon  followed  by 
murmurings,  rebelHons,  and  idolatry, — for  which  they 
were  severely  punished  ;  and  all  who,  [at  the  time  of  their 
rebellion  in  saying,  "  Let  us  make  a  captain,  and  let  us 
RETURN  into  Egypt,"  which  was  soon  after  the  commence- 
ment  of  their  journeyings,]  were  "  twenty  years  old  and 
upward,"  were  doomed  to  die  in  the  wilderness,  except 
Caleb  and  Joshua.  These,  with  all  under  twenty  years, 
were,  at  the  expiration  of  their  journeyings,  to  enter  the 
promised  land.  Thus  the  Most  High  still  preserved  a 
seed  to  serve  him.  Moses  was  succeeded  by  Joshua, 
under  whose  judicious  administration  the  Church  pros- 
pered.  The  land  of  Canaan  was  divided  among  the  twelve 
tribes,  and  the  Levitical  and  Sacerdotal  cities,  and  cities 
of  Refuge  were  provided,  for  the  maintenance  of  religious 
order.  During  the  whole  period  of  the  Judges,  342  years 
from  the  death  of  Joshua,  the  Church  greatly  degenerated, 
being  distinguished  by  a  state  of  anarchy,  idolatry,  and 
servitude.    See  1  Samuel  iii.  1. 

II.  Civil  History.  The  distinctive  features  of  a  Patri- 
archal government  was  lost,  when,  under  Moses,  the 
judicial  administration  was,  by  the  advice  of  Jethro,  com- 
mitted to  a  selection  of  six  out  of  every  tribe,  who  were 
called  "  elders  of  Israel,"  [Num.  xi.  16,]  whose  duty  it 
was  to  quell  the  seditious,  and  protect  the  innocent.  The 
High  Priest  sustained  to  these  the  relation  of  prime  coun. 
sellor,  and  sometimes  judge,  of  whom  the  common  priests 
and  Levites  were  the  assistants,  [Deut.  xvii.  9 — 12.] 
The  executive  power,  however,  was  vested  in  the  Judge 
of  each  tribe,  and  God  himself  was  their  King,  and  the 
center  of  union  and  government.  But,  for  their  idolatry 
and  rebellion,  God  finally  forsook  them.  The  Elder, 
Priest,  Levite,  and  Judge,  all  neglected  their  duty,  and 
having  "  no  king  in  Israel,  every  one  did  what  was  right 
in  his  own  eyes,"  and  by  the  want  of  a  well  organized 


13 


government,  they  became  an  easy  prey  to  their  enemies- 
This  resulted  in  the  servitude  of  the  Israehtes,  to  rescue 
them  from  which,  God  at  different  times  raised  them  up  a 
succession  of  extraordinary  Judges,  whose  jurisdiction 
extended  over  many,  or  all  the  tribes. 

III.  Prophecy.  Several  predictions  were  made  respect- 
ing the  Israelites,  the  principal  of  which  are,  [1.]  Balaam^ s 
prophecy,  which  speaks  of  them  as  a  distinct  people.  Num. 

xxiii.  9.  Fulfilled,  Ex.  xix.  6 ;  Deut.  vii.  6 — 8 ;  xxvi. 
19;  xxviii.  9;  Isa.  Ixi.  6;  1  Pet.  ii.  5 — 9;  Rev.  xx.  6. 
The  Jews  to  this  day,  though  scattered  among  all  nations, 
still  continue  to  be  a  distinct  people.  They  were  also  to 
conquer  their  enemies,  JsTum.  xxii.  24  ;  xxiv.  8,  9.  Com- 
pared with  Gen.  xxvii.  29,  and  xlix.  9.  This  is  evident 
from  their  conquests  under  Moses,  Joshua,  the  Judges  and 
Kings,  particularly  David,  and  their  universal  peace  under 
Solomon,  1  Samuel  xv.  7,  8.  Concerning  the  fate  of  the 
Moabites,  Num.  xxiv.  17,  see  2  Samuel  viii.  2.  Of  the 
Edomites,  of  Seir,  and  of  their  "  strong  cities,"  Numbers 

xxiv.  18,  19,  see  2  Samuel  viii.  — ;  Psa.  Ix.  8  ;  cviii.  9 ; 

1  Kings  xi.  15,  16.  Of  Amalek,  Num.  xxiv.  20  ;  Exod. 
xvii.  14 ;  Gen.  xiv.  7 ;  1  Sam.  xxviii.  8  ;  see  1  Samuel 
XV.  7,  8;  xxvii.  8,  9;  xxx.  — ;  1  Chron.  iv.  41,  42,  43. 
And  of  the  Kenites,  Numbers  xxiv.  21,  22.  Compare 

2  Kings  xvi.  9,  and  xix.  12,  13  ;  1  Chron.  ii.  55. 


5.  The  Regal  and  Prophetic  Period,  or  the  period 
of  the  Kings  of  Judah  and  Israel,  and  of  the  cotemporary 
Prophets,  embraces  666  years,  from  the  accession  of  Saul, 
to  the  time  of  Malachi.  The  events  for  which  this  period 
is  conspicuous  are,  [1.]  The  establishment  of  a  monarchy 
in  Israel.  [2.]  Saul's  wicked  reign,  and  rejection  from 
the  throne.  [3,]  David  succeeded  him.  [4.]  Reign  of 
Solomon.  [5.]  Building  of  the  Temple.  [6.]  Division 
of  the  kingdom  under  Rehoboam.  [7.]  Babylonish  Cap- 
tivity. [8.]  Restoration.  And  [9.]  The  rebuilding  of 
the  City  and  Temple  of  Jerusalem. 

I.  Ecclesiastical  History.  Samuel,  the  last  among  the 
extraordinary  judges  whom  God  raised  up  for  the  deliver- 
ance of  his  people,  "  was  a  father  to  the  Church,  a  zeal- 
ous reformer,  and  an  upright  prophet  among  the  people  of 


14 


the  Lord.  By  him  was  estabhshed  the  school  of  the  pro- 
phets, for  the  purpose  of  perpetuating  a  succession  of 
faithful  ministers,  who  were  numerous  in  the  days  of  Eh- 
jah  and  Elisha ;  and  these  schools  continued  to  flourish 
more  or  less,  even  down  to  the  time  of  Christ.  The 
Church  suffered  much  under  Saul's  administration,  he 
having  slain  no  less  than  eighty-five  priests  of  the  Lord  I 
But  when  David  succeeded  to  the  throne,  peace  and  pros- 
perity was  restored  to  the  Church  and  the  Nation  of  Israel. 
Ample  provisions  were  made  for  the  erection  of  the  Tem- 
ple at  Jerusalem,  which  when  completed,  was  by  Solomon, 
most  solemnly  dedicated  to  God  by  prayer  and  sacrifice. 
At  this  period  the  Jewish  Church  may  be  considered  as 
having  attained  to  the  zenith  of  its  glory.  But,  the  splen- 
dour  of  this  happy  state  was  soon  followed  by  an  awful 
defection  from  the  true  religion,  which,  being  commenced 
by  Solomon  himself,  soon  spread  through  the  whole  nation 
of  Israel,  and  ended  in  the  division  of  the  kingdom.  In 
the  kingdom  of  Judah,  the  true  religion  and  the  Church 
was  more  particularly  preserved ;  but  from  1  Kings  xiv. 
21 — 24,  it  is  evident  that  idolatry  existed  there  also. 
But,  Rehoboam  was  punished  for  his  apostasy.  See 
1  Kings  xiv.  22 — 26.  This  humbled  him,  and  a  reform, 
ation  ensued,  2  Chron.  xii.  12.  Still  idolatry  existed  in 
both  kingdoms ;  so  that  in  the  days  of  Elijah,  he  thought 
that  there  was  not  07ie  besides  himself  who  feared  and 
worshipped  God.  But  he  was  assured  that  there  were 
yet  seven  thousand  who  had  not  bowed  down  to  the  image 
of  Baal.  The  Babylonish  Captivity  effectually  eradicated 
idolatry  from  among  the  Jews.  It  resulted  in  the  conver- 
sion  of  the  wicked  king  Manasseli,  who  afterwards  pro- 
moted  the  interests  of  true  religion.  After  seventy  years 
captivity  in  Babylon,  a  proclamation  was  issued  by  Cyrus 
for  the  restoration  of  the  Jews.  But  only  those  who  feared 
the  Lord  returned,  under  Zemblahel  their  Prince,  and 
Joshua  their  High  Priest,  to  the  number  of  49,697  souls. 
Afler  the  dedication  of  the  second  Temple,  under  Ezra 
and  Nehemiah,  true  rehgion  continued  to  flourish ;  but 
af\er  their  deaths,  it  again  declined,  and  the  spirit  of  pro- 
phecy died  with  the  last  of  their  prophets,  Malachi. 
II.  Civil  History.    The  venality  of  Samuel's  sons  in 


15 

the  government  of  Israel,  ultimated  in  the  estabUshment 
of  a  Monarchy  among  them  ;  for  the  impatient  people  re- 
quested of  Samuel,  the  appointment  of  a  king,  that  they 
might  be  as  other  nations ;  and  Saul  was  selected  for  that 
purpose,  as  the  Jirst  King  of  Israel. 

III.  Prophecy.  The  principal  are  first,  those  of  Jere- 
miah, chap.  XXV.  1 — 11,  who  predicted  [1.]  The  Captivity 
of  the  kingdom  of  Judah ;  for  a  fulfillment  of  which,  see 
2  Kings  xxiv.  ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  ;  Daniel  i.  [2.]  Their 
Restoration,  chap.  xxix.  10.  Fulfilled,  2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
22;  Ezra  i.  1.  Isaiah  prophesied  the  dispersion  of  the 
ten  tribes  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  chap.  vii.  8.  Ful- 
filled,  2  Kings  xviii.  10,  11  ;  xvii.  24  ;  xv.  29  ;  1  Chron. 
V.  26  ;  Ezra  iv.  2—10. 

6.  The  Sacerdotal  Period,  or  period  of  the  Priest- 
hood, embraces  about  400  years,  from  the  time  of  Mala- 
chi,  to  the  birth  of  Christ.  This  period  is  distinguished, 
[1.]  By  the  accession  of  Artaxerxes  Memnon  to  the  Per- 
sian throne.  [2.]  The  division  of  the  Greek  Empire 
among  the  Ptolemies.  [3.]  The  submission  of  the  .Jews 
to  Antiochus  the  Great.  [4.]  Their  dehverance  under 
Mattathias,  the  great  Jewish  Reformer,  and  father  of  the 
Maccabees.  [5.]  Accession  of  Judas  Aristobulus  to  the 
Sovereignty  and  Priesthood  of  the  Jews.  [6.]  Accession 
of  Herod  the  Great  to  the  throne  of  Judea,  and  [7.]  Birth 
of  the  REDEEMER. 

I.  Ecclesiastical  History.  During  this  period,  though 
the  form  of  godliness  existed  among  the  Jews,  yet  vital 
rehgion  almost  entirely  disappeared.  The  Jews,  for  their 
wickedness,  felt  the  tyrany  of  the  Kings  of  Persia,  Greece, 
Egypt,  Syria,  and  Rome ;  which  last  nation,  reduced 
Judea  to  her  subjection,  about  50  years  before  the  advent 
of  Christ.  The  Church  suffered  much  under  the  brutal 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  king  of  Syria,  who,  for  their  refiisal 
to  become  idolaters,  ordered  seven  brethren  with  their 
mother,  to  be  martyred,  which  they  endured  with  the 
most  pious  and  heroic  fortitude.  Mattathias  first  took  up 
arm.s  against  Antiochus,  and  was  followed  by  his  son, 
Judas  Maccabees,  was  succeeded  in  recovering  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  and  in  restoring  the  worship  of  God  in  the 


16 


temple.  But  the  Jews  now  began  to  be  divided  into  dit' 
ferent  religious  parties — the  prmcipal  of  whom  were,  the 
Zadikim,  from  whom  sprang  the  Samaritans  and  the  Sad- 
ducees ;  and  the  Chasidim,  from  whom  sprang  the  Phar- 
isees and  Essenes.  The  seed  of  the  righteous,  during  the 
dark  period  which  elapsed,  were  to  be  found  among  those 
alluded  to  by  Malachi ;  "  Then  they  that  feared  the  Lord 
spake  often  one  to  another,"  &c.  And  whether  these 
were  to  be  found  in  one  particular  sect,  or  were  inter- 
spersed  eimong  them  all,  this  we  know ;  that  there  were 
those  who  were  piously  and  patiently  "  waiting  for  the 
consolation  of  Israel.''  Such  were  Zacharias  and  EHza- 
beth,  with  her  cousin  Mary,  the  mother  of  the  Redeemer. 
who  was  "  righteous  before  God,"  and  Joseph,  who  was 
"  a  just  man,"  and  the  "  devout  Simeon,"  and  the  aged 
prophetess  Anna,  with  others. 

II.  Civil  History.  The  civil  history  of  this  period, 
according  to  the  prophetical  dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
Daniel,  chapter  ii.,  and  the  vision  of  Daniel,  ch.  vii.,  both 
of  which  relate  to  the  same  things,  is  distinguished  for  the 
i-ise  of  tlie  four  universal  empires,  viz  : — the  Babylonian. 
the  Medo-Persian,  the  Grecian  or  ^Macedonian,  and  the 
Roman  :  which  were  to  arise  one  after  another  in  regular 
succession,  the  last  of  which  particularly,  was  to  extend 
in  one  form  or  other,  from  the  time  of  the  prophet  Daniel, 
to  the  Millenium. 

III.  Prophecy.  Moses  speaks  of  the  destruction  of  the 
Jews  by  the  Chaldeans,  Deut.  xxviii.  49,  52.  Fulfilled, 
Lamentations  iv.  19;  2  Kings  xviii.  9,  10,  13;  xxv.  19. 
Although  the  Jews  confided  in  the  strength  of  their  walls, 
cities,  &c.  yet  at  difl^erent  times  it  was  besieged  by  Ishek, 
Nebuchadnezzar,  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  Pompey,  Socius, 
Herod,  and  finally  by  Titus.  They  were  also  to  be  sold 
into  Egypt  as  slaves,  Deut.  xxviii.  68  ;  Psalms  xliv.  13. 
This,  according  to  Josephus,  was  the  case  during  the 
reigns  of  the  first  two  Ptolemies,  Adrian,  Titus,  &c. 
They  were  to  be  dispersed  into  all  nations,  Deut.  xxviii. 
25.  See  Nehemiah  i.  8,  9.  They  are  to  be  found  this 
day  in  ail  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe.  But  a  state  of 
future  blessedness  is  reserved  for  them,  Isa.  Ix.  15 — 18 : 
Ezekiel  xxxvii.  21,  25;  xxxix.  28,  29:  Hosea  iii.  4.  5, 

I  THE  Lord  wxll  haste>-  it  i>-  hxs  time." 


17 


A  summary  view  of  all  the  Ancient  Religions  which 
have  prevailed  in  the  world,  will  be  found  under  the  space 
appropriated  for  the  History  of  the  Jeicish  Church, 

An  account  of  the  Rise,  Revolutions,  and  Fall  of  all  the 
principal  nations,  &:c.  of  antiquity,  will  be  found  in  the 
circle  over  the  vignette  representing  the  deluge.  These 
are  all  distinguished  by  different  colors,  and  should  be 
carefully  traced  with  a  pointer,  and  the  period  when  they 
commenced,  together  with  the  changes  through  which 
they  respectively  passed,  should  be  compared  with  the 
history  of  the  Church  during  the  same  period ;  by  doing 
which,  you  are  furnished  at  once  with  the  contemporane- 
ous conditions  of  the  Church  and  the  World.  This 
explanation  will  apply  equally  to  the  Ecclesiastical  and 
Civil  history  of  the  Christian  ^Era. 


PART  SECOND. 

.ERA  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 
The  history  of  the  Christian  Church  is  divided  into  four 
great  periods  as  follows  : — 

I.  From  its  first  establishment  by  Christ,  to  the 
TIME  OF  Constantine  THE  Great,  A.  D.  312.  This  is 
called  the  Primitive  Period, 

II.  From  Constantine  the  Great  to  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Papacy,  A.  D.  606.  This  Period  is 
distinguished  for  the  Decline  of  Paganism. 

III.  From  the  establishment  of  the  Papacy,  A.  D. 
606,  TO  THE  Reformation,  A.  D.  1517.  This  is  called 
the  Middle  or  Dark  Period. 

IV.  From  the  Reformation,  to  the  present  day. 

PERIOD  FIRST. 

The  first  Period,  from  the  establishment  of  the  Chris- 
tian  Church  to  the  time  of  Constantine,  or  the  Primitive 
Period,  exhibits  the  Church  as  in  possession  of  the  pure 
doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  of  the  undisputed  exercise  of 
the  prerogatives  of  an  Apostolic  ministry.  But,  pure  as 
was  the  Church  during  this  period,  "the  mystery  of 


18 


iniquity"  began  the  work"  of  preparation  for  an  almost 
total  extermination  of  true  religion  from  the  earth.  The 
principal  events  embraced  in  this  period  are — the  ministry 
of  Christ,  the  preaching  of  the  apostles,  and  the  persecu- 
tions endured  by  the  Church,  from  Pagan  Rome.  Each 
Century*  embraced  in  this  and  the  other  great  periods, 
will  now  be  taken  up  separately,  and  a  particular  exnla- 
nation  given  of  their  several  parts. 

CE^-TURY    FIRST,  f 

This  Century  opens  \Wth  a  representation  of  the  "  Holy 
Child  Jesus,"  receiving  homage  from  the  "  wise  men"  of 
the  east.  The  diagram  in  the  center  of  the  Century, 
presents  to  view  the  gradual  increase  and  spread  of  Chris- 
tianity,  till  near  its  close,  when  it  is  diminished  by  perse- 
cution. This  Century  embraces  the  two  first  prominent 
events  of  the  first  period,  and  also  the  commencement  of 
the  third.  first  event,  the  ministry  of  Christ,  includes 

the  first  34  years.  The  second,  the  preaching  of  the 
apostles,  extends  from  their  dispersion  at  the  death  of 
Stephen  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  70.  And 
the  commencement  of  the  third,  or  the  Pagan  persecutions, 
begin  under  Nero,  about  the  year  65.  These  persecu- 
lions  are  ten  in  number,  and  end  with  the  accession  to  the 
throne,  of  Constantine  the  Great,  as  Emperor  of  Rome  ; 
all  of  which  you  will  perceive,  are  marked  according  to 
the  dates  when  each  commenced.  The  yellow  color 
throughout  the  whole  nineteen  Centuries,  is  designed  to 
de-signate  the  comparative  prevalence  of  true  Christianity, 
a:id  the  consequent  perpetuity  of  the  Church.  The  orange 
shade  on  each  side  of  the  interior  of  the  diagrams  of  the 
first  six  Centuries,  show  the  gradual  corruption  of  pure 
Religion. 

The  varying  severity  of  the  ten  Pagan  persecutions  of 
the  Church,  and  also  of  those  which  followed,  is  repre- 

*  The  Centuries  are  all  marked  over  the  top,  on  the  outside  of 
the  circle,  thus  :  1st  Cen.,  2nd  Cen.,  3rd  Cen.,  &c. 

t  The  lettering  throughout  points  to  the  center  of  the  Chart.  It 
must  therefore  be  suspended  from  the  rings  attached  to  the  roller?, 
so  as  to  bring  each  century  as  nearly  perpendicular  to  the  eye  zs 
can  be,  and  the  reading  must  commence  at  the  bottom,  and  advance 
to  the  top. 


1^ 


sented  by  the  lines  which  are  colored  with  crimson.  In 
every  century,  the  left  side  of  the  center  diagram  is  appro- 
priated  to  the  Civil  or  Political  history  of  the  world, 
and  embraces  the  names  in  succession  of  Emperors,*  Gov. 
ernors,  KingSy  Philosophers,  6fC.  6fC.  ;  the  right  side,  the 
names  of  Bishops,-^  Popes,  Martyrs,  Writers,  Doctors,  <SfC. 
^c. ;  and  the  diagrams,  include  the  Ecclesiastical  his- 
tory,  or  that  part  which  more  particularly  relates  to  the 
various  conditions  of  the  Church.  The  several  places 
which  branch  out  from  this  century,  show  how  the  gospel 
was  preached  to  "  all  the  world,"  by  the  dispersion  of  the 
apostles  at  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen. 

PROPHECY.t   PERIOD  FIRST. 

(From  the  days  of  John,  to  the  year  606^) 
Opening  of  the  First  Seal. 

Rev.  vi.  1,  2.  And  I  saw  ^chen  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals, 
«n<i  I  heard,  as  it  were  the  noise  of  thunder^  one  of  the  four  beasts,  say- 
ing, Co  "e  and  see. 

And  I  saw,  and  behold  a  white  horse  :  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a 
bow  :  and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him:  and  he  went  forth  conqueringy 
and  io  conquer." 

The  accession  of  Trajan  to  the  empire  of  Rome,§  and 
the  conquests  which  followed  his  victorious  arm,  are  sup- 

*  The  names  of  the  Roman  Emperors  are  designated  by  a  straight 
line  drawn  under  themj  thus  :  Nerva,  Trajan,  &.C. 

t  The  succession  of  Bishops  of  the  four  sees,  Jerusalem,  Auti- 
och,  Alexandria,  and  Rome,  are  thus  designated : 

*  James,  Jer.,  for  Bishop  of  Jerusalem. 

*  Ignatius,  Ant.,  for  "     "  Antioch. 

*  Annianus,  Alex,  for  "     *'  Alexandria. 

*  Peter,  Rome,  for     "     "  Rome. 

t  The  prophecies  relating  to  the  Christian  Church,  in  the  book, 
of  Revelation,  from  the  seventh  chapter  to  the  end,  maybe  divided 
into  THREE  GRAND  SUCCESSIVE  PERIODS,  Under  the  seven  Seals,  the 
seven  Trumpets,  and  the  seven  Vials.  The  seventh  Seal  compre- 
hends  all  the  seven  Trumpets  ;  and  the  seventh  Trumpet  compre- 
hends all  the  seven  Vials. — These  three  successive  periods  are 
thus  divided  : 

I.  The  first  period,  which  contains  the  state  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire, and  the  trials  of  the  Church  of  Christ  under  that  power,  from 
the  days  of  John  to  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century,  is  de- 
Bcribed  under  the  first  six  Seals,  and  the  first  four  Trumpets  of  the 
««venth  Seal.  9  A.  D.  98. 

3 


20 


posed  to  be  the  points  embraced  in  the  prophetic  allusions 
of  the  first  seal.  From  the  time  of  Augustus  to  Trajan, 
all  was  peace  and  tranquillity,  with  the  exception  of  the 
conquest  of  Britain.  But  that  "  Prince  had  received  the 
education  of  a  soldier,  and  possessed  the  talents  of  a 
general.  The  peaceful  system  of  his  predecessors,  was 
interrupted  by  scenes  of  war  and  conquest,  and  the 
legions,  after  a  long  interval,  beheld  a  military  emperor 
at  their  head.  By  the  arms  of  Trajan,  the  Roman  con- 
quests were  carried  to  their  utmost  extent,  both  in  the 
East  and  in  the  West ;  and  the  strength  and  order  given 
to  the  imperial  government,  had  a  lasting  effect  upon 
the  internal  peace  and  prosperity  of  the  empire." 

CENTURY  SECOND. 

The  diagram  of  this  century  shows  the  increase  of  the 
visible  Church,  and  with  it  a  growing  tendency  to  degene- 
rate from  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  the  first. 

Opening  of  the  Second  Seal. 

Rev.  vi.  3,  4.  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the 
second  beast  say,  Come  and  see. 

And  there  went  out  another  horse  that  was  red  :  and  power  was  eiren. 
to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should 
full  one  another  :  and  there  was  given  unto  him,  a  great  sword. 

"  n.  The  second  period  is  the  whole  duration  of  the  two  grand 
Apostasies,  Popery  in  the  West,  and  Mohammedism  in  the  East, 
which  commence  in  the  same  year,  A.  D.  606,  and  last  exactly  the 
same  time,  1260  years,  and  shall  fall  together  in  the  year  1866, 
according  to  the  best  interpreters  of  prophecy.  The  whole  dura- 
tion of  this  period  is  during  the  three  last  Trumpets,  called  the 
Woe  Trumpets.  The  first  Woe  Trumpet  is  from  the  commence- 
ment of  Popery  to  its  zenith,  A.  D.  1281  ;  and  the  second  Woe 
Trumpet  from  the  zenith  of  Popery  to  the  rise  of  Antichrist,  1792. 

'<  III.  The  third  period,  is  during  the  reign  of  Antichrist,  or  the 
Infidel  power,  who  denies  both  the  Father  and  the  Son.  This  power 
makes  his  appearance  towards  the  close  of  the  duration  of  the  two 
grand  Apostasies,  Popery  and  Mohammedism,  and  is  closely 
leagued  with  Popery.  These  three  powers  live  together,  and  shall 
fall  together,  at  the  great  battle  of  Armageddon,  in  the  land  of  Ca- 
naan. This  Antichrist,  the  Infidel  Power,  makes  his  appearance 
at  the  commencement  of  the  French  Revolution  in  the  year  1792, 
The  whole  reign  of  Antichrist  is  under  the  third  or  last  Woe  Trum- 
pet ;  and  under  this  Trumpet,  the  seven  Vials  are  poured  out.  And 
when  the  last  Vial  shall  be  poured  out  at  the  great  Battle  of  Arma- 
geddon, Popery,  Mohammedism,  and  Antichrist  shall  fall  together, 
to  rise  no  more  for  ever  ;  and  then  follows  the  restoration  of  the 
Jews,  the  Millenium,  and  the  glory  to  come." 


i 


21 


The  accession  of  Commodus  to  the  imperial  throne,* 
and  the  peculiar  character  of  his  reign,  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  predictions  of  the  second  seal.  That 
emperor  was  one  of  the  most  cruel  and  ferocious  tyrants, 
that  ever  swayed  a  sceptre.  "  The  era  of  conquest  waa 
exchanged  for  an  era  of  blood ;  the  powerful  government 
of  Trajan  and  the  Antonies  gave  place  to  oppression  and 
civil  war — and  from  this  epocha,  Mr.  Gibbon  dates  the 
decline  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  speaks  of  the  acces. 
fiion  of  Commodus,  as  productive  of  a  revolution  to  this 
day  felt  among  the  nations  of  the  earth." 

CENTURY  THIRD. 

The  same  as  the  preceding. 

Opening  of  the  Third  Seal, 

Rev.  vi.  5,  6.  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  third  seal,  Ihecerd  the 
third  beast  say,  Come  and  see.  Aiid  I  beheld,  and  la,  a  black  horse  ; 
and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his  hand. 

And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measitre  of 
vshtat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny :  and  «<« 
thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine.^' 

The  bloodthirsty  Commodus  was  succeeded'  b)''  Septi- 
mus Severus,!  one  of  his  generals,  the  sole  object  of 
whose  government  appears  to  have  been,  the  establish- 
ment of  the  most  "  rigid  justice,"  as  a  corrective  to  the 
"  disordered  and  dissolute  state  of  the  times,"  by  which 
means  he  "  firmly  established  the  imperial  authority,  and 
introduced  a  new  aera  in  civil  history."  "  In  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice,"  says  Mr.  Gibbon,  "  the  judgments  of 
the  emperor  were  characterized  by  attention,  discernment, 
and  impartiality ;  and  whenever  he  deviated  from  the 
strict  line  of  equity,  it  was  generally  in  favour  of  the  poor 
and  distressed ;  not  so  much,  indeed,  from  any  sense  of 
humanity,  but  from  the  natural  propensity  of  a  despot  to 
humble  the  pride  of  greatness,  and  to  sink  all  his  subjects 
to  the  same  common  level  of  absolute  dependence."  But 
the  Church  of  God,  "  weighed  in  this  balance  of  equity," 
was  estimated  to  be  "  an  infamous  generation ;  a  people 
that  designed  nothing  but  treason  against  the  state." 
Under  the  second  Severus,:^  the  persecution  commenced 
by  the  first,  was  contmued  with  great  severity,  and  was 
*  A.  D.  180.  t  A.  D.  193.  t  A.  D.  233. 


22 


so  universal  in  its  effects,  *'  that  a  writer  on  prophecy,  at 
this  period,  declared  it  as  his  firm  persuasion,  that  the 
time  of  Antichrist  was  at  hand." 

Opening  of  the  Fourth  Seal. 

Rkv.  vi.  7,  S.  "  And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I  heard  the 
voice  of  the  fourth  beast  say,  Come  and  see. 

And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  pale  horse  :  and  his  navie  that  sat  on  him 
tras  Death,  and  hell  followed  uith  him.  And  power  was  given  -unto 
them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  to  kill  icith  sword,  and  with  hun- 
ger, and  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth." 

From  the  accession  of  Maxi3ii]Vj*  "  a  brutal  savage," 
to  the  close  of  this  century,  was  an  "  tera  of  desolation  " 
— six  princes,  in  the  space  of  a  few  months,  had  been  cut 
off  by  the  sword.  The  Persians  invade  the  east — the 
barbarians  boldly  attack  the  provinces  of  a  declining 
monarchy.  From  the  time  of  Philip,  who  was  murderer! 
A.  D.  248,  to  Valerian,  who  "  was  taken  captive  by  the 
Persians,  there  elapsed  twenty  years  of  shame  and  mis- 
fortune— and  the  ruined  empire  seemed  to  approach  the 
last  and  fatal  moment  of  its  dissolution.  Inundations, 
earthquakes,  uncommon  meteors,  preternatural  darkness, 
and  a  crowd  of  prodigies,  fictitious  and  exaggerated,"  the 
infidel  historian  tells  us,  "decorated  this  period."  These- 
were  followed  by  "  famine,  and  a  furious  plague,  which 
from  A.  D.  250  to  265,  in  connection  wi^h  the  desolations 
of  war,  were  suspected  by  Gibbon,  to  have  consumed,  in 
a  few  years,  the  moiety  of  the  human  species."  From 
Claudius  to  Dioclesian,  and  his  colleagues,  the  empire 
was  partially  restored  to  her  former  greatness,  but  the 
Church,  particularly  under  Decius  and  Dioclesian,  was 
called  to  wade  through  seas  of  blood. 

CENTURY  FOURTH. 

The  appearance  of  this  diagram,  indicates  great  com- 
motion, both  in  Church  and  State.  Under  the  tenth  per- 
secution, the  severest  the  Church  had  ever  felt,  she  is 
nearly  exterminated.  This  persecution,  however,  is 
arrested  by  the  timely  interference  of  Constantino  the 
Great,  who  in  the  providence  of  God,  now  ascends  tho 
throne  as  the  first  Christian  Emperor  of  Rome. 


*  A.  D.  235. 


23 


PERIOD  SECOND. 

With  this  commences  the  second  period  of  the  history 
of  the  Christian  Church,  which  extends  to  the  establishment 
of  the  Papacy,  A.  D.  606.  The  storm  of  persecution  is 
now  arrested  not  only,  but  Paganism  is  abolished,  and  the 
whole  empire  becomes  nominally  Christian.  Paganism, 
however,  before  the  death  of  Constantino,  began  again  to 
revive.  After  that  event,  the  division  of  the  Empire 
among  Constantino's  three  sons  ;  the  extensive  prevalence 
of  Arianism  ;  the  united  persecutions  of  the  Church  by  the 
Arians,  Jews,  and  Pagans ;  the  divided  pohcy  and  senti- 
ments of  Constans,  Constantinus  and  Constantius,  respect, 
ing  the  Church  ;  and  finally  the  apostasy  of  Julian,  who 
restores  Paganism,  ended  in  the  almost  total  destruction 
of  its  visibility.  Under  Valentinian,  the  Church  again 
prospers.  Under  Valens  it  is  again  depressed,  and  suffers 
greatly  from  persecution.  Theodosius  the  great  suppresses 
idolatry,  and  the  empire  again  becomes  nominally  Chris- 
tian. In  the  midst  of  all  these  changes,  the  two  following 
events  appear  the  most  conspicuous — the  union  of  Chukch 
and  State,  and  the  commencement  of  the  decli^^e  of 
Paganism. 

Opening  of  the  Fifth  Seal, 

Rev.  vi.  9,  10  11.  "And  ichen  he  had  opened  the  Jifth  teal,  I  sent 
under  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God, 
and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held: 

And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  How  long,  O  Lord,  hohf 
and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell 
9n  the  earth  7 

And  white  robes  were  given  unto  every  one  of  them  ;  and  it  was  said 
unto  Hum  that  they  sJimild  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow 
servants  also  and  their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as  they  were, 
akould  be  fulfilled." 

Reference  is  had  in  the  prophecy  of  this  seal,  to  the  last 
Pagan  persecution,  the  severest  the  Church  had  ever  been 
called  to  experience.  "  It  was  a  persecution  more  sys- 
tematically planned,  and  more  artfully  conducted,  than 
those  which  Christians  had  ever  known.  Indeed,  victory 
at  first  showed  itself  in  favour  of  the  persecutors,  and 
Christianity  seemed  to  be  near  at  an  end." 

Opening  of  the  Sixth  Seal. 

Ret.  ri.  12—17,  and  xii.  7.    "  And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  &e 
mxth  seal,  and,  la,  there  was  a  great  earthquake  ;  and  the  sun  becam* 
ilatk  Off  Bockcloth  oj  hair,  and  the  moon  became  ae  blood ; 
3* 


24 


And  the  siars  of  htatcn  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  Jig  tree  casieth 
her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind. 

And  the  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together  ;  and 
every  mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of  their  places. 

And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich  men,  and 
the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bondman,  and  every 
freeman,  Jiid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  mountains  ; 

And  said  to  the  mountains  and-  rocks,  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from 
the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the 
ham  b : 

For  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come  ;  and  who  shall  he  able  to- 
stand? 

Ayid  there  was  war  in  heaven :  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  agaimi 
tJ\e  dragon ;  and  the  dragon  foiight  and  his  angels." 

The  prophecy  of  the  sixth  seal,  and  of  the  symbol,  may 
bo  considered  as  receiving  their  fulfihnent,  "  in  the  pros- 
tration of  all  the  powers  of  pagan  darkness,  which  had  so 
long  governed  the  world,"  and  the  consequent  triumphs 
of  the  cross  under  Constantine  the  Great,  in  the  sud- 
den deliverance  of  the  Church  "  from  the  most  abject  de« 
pression  to  a  state  of  peace  and  prosperity — but  that  this 
fulfilment  was  only  typical  of  a  greater  change  to  come 
to  pass  herafter,  to  which  the  language  of  the  prediction, 
in  Its  full  amount,  properly  belongs." 

OPENING  OF  THE  SEVENTH  SEAL. 

Sounding  of  the  First  Trumpet. 

Rkv.  viii.  7.  "  The  first  angel  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  nvd 
ftrc  mingled  with  blood,  arid  they  were  cast  upon  the  earth  :  and  tJu 
tJiird  part  of  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass  was  burnt  up.'' 

Internal  commotions  among  the  northern  barbarians 
drove  about  a  million  of  Goths  into  the  province  of  the 
Roman  empire,  and  others,  "  exasperated  with  hunger 
and  the  oppression  of  the  Roman  governors,"  soon  follow- 
ed after.  "  War  is  resolved  on  ;"  "  the  banners  of  the 
nation  are  displayed,  and  the  air  resounds  with  the  harsh 
and  mournful  sound  of  the  Gothic  trumpet."  Hence  foU 
lowed  "the  ruin  of  the  peaceful  husbandmen  of  Thrace, 
the  conflagration  of  their  villages,  and  the  massacre  and 
captivity  of  their  innocent  families  ;"  "  and  the  tide  of  the 
Gothic  inundation  rolled  from  the  walls  of  Hadrianople  to 
the  suburbs  of  Cor.stantinoplc."  But,  "  the  reign  of  The- 
odosius,  A.  D.  879  to  395,  suspended  the  evil,  and  vindi- 
catcd  the  honor  of  the  empire."  Rome,  hov^ever,  A.  D. 
310,  was  three  times  besieged,  and  finally  sacked  hj 
Alaric,  king  of  the  Gotlis. 


25 


CENTUBT  FIFTH. 

The  Roman  Empire,  about  the  middle  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury, began  to  be  infested  with  the  incursions  of  the  north- 
ern Barbarians ; — but  in  this,  it  is  divided  by  them  into 
TEX  KiXGDOMS.  The  corruptions  of  the  See  of  Rome  are 
now  so  far  in  the  advance,  as  to  begin  to  turn  her  weap- 
ons of  blood  against  all  who  would  not  submit  to  her 
growing  ecclesiastical  assumptions,  and  thus,  the  true 
Church  begins  to  feel  the  smarting  lash  of  persecution 
from  her  vindictive  hand.  Hence  the  change  of  the  lines 
representing  persecution,  from  the  outside  of  the  diagram 
to  the  in-side.  The  Church  is  now  persecuted  by  the 
Church.  This  is  the  commencement  of  the  second,  or 
Papal  Persecution. 

Sounding  of  the  Second  Trumpet. 

Rev.  viii.  8,  9.  And  the  second  angel  sound-ed,  and  as  il  leere 
a  great  mountain  burning  with  fire  was  cast  into  the  sea;  and  the 
third  part  o  f  the  sea  hecanie  blood : 

And  the  third  fart  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the  sea,  and  had  life, 
died;  and  the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed." 

This  prediction  had  its  fulfilment  in  the  depredations 
which  befel  the  Roman  world,  by  the  naval  victories  of 
the  Vandals.  Genseric  their  leader,  at  the  head  of  50,000 
effective  men,  commenced  his  career  of  blood  and  rapine, 
spreading  desolation  wherever  he  went.  Where  the 
Vandals  "found  resistance,  they  seldom  gave  quarter." 
Genseric  "  resolved  to  create  a  naval  power  that  would 
render  every  maratime  country  accessible  to  their  army." 
"  The  celerity  of  their  motions  enabled  them  almost  at 
the  same  time  to  threaten  and  to  attack  the  most  distant 
object  which  attracted  their  desire."  And  this  "  monarch 
of  tiie  Sea,  when  asked  by  his  pilot  what  course  he 
should  steer,"  rephed,  "  Leave  the  determination  to  the 
winds ;  they  will  transport  us  to  the  guilty  coast  whose 
inhabitants  have  provoked  the  Divine  justice."  "  Gen- 
seric continued  to  his  death,  the  tyrant  of  the  seas." 

Sounding  of  the  Third  Trumpet. 

Ret.  viii.  10,  11.  And  the  third  Angel  Sounded,  and  there  feU 
•  great  star  from  heaven,  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it  fell  upon 
Hke  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters  ; 

And  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood;  and  the  third  pari  of 
fiu  waters  became  wormwood;  and  many  men  died  of  the  ipaUrt,  t»- 
mt»ge  they  vicre  made  bitter." 


26 


This  prophecy  relates  to  the  third  a vengirg  scourge  of 
the  times,  the  Huns,  who  had  driven  the  Goths  and  the 
Vandals  before  them,  and  had  spread  from  the  Volga  to 
the  Danube.  In  the  reign  of  Attila,  they  became  the 
terror  of  the  world."  "He  was  able  to  bring  into  the 
field  five,  or  according  to  another  account,  seven  hundred! 
thousand  barbarians."  After  vanquishing  in  successive 
engagements,  the  aimies  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  which 
were  commenced  in  441,  Attila,  A.  D.  450,  "  prepares  to 
invade  the  West ;  and  the  waters  of  the  Po,  of  the  Rhine, 
and  of  the  Nectar,  are  rendered  bitter,  "  as  well  as  the 
streams  of  the  Danube.  The  numbers  slain  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Chalons,  ha\e  been  rated  from  150,000  to  300.- 
000." 

Sounding  of  the  Fourth  Trumpet, 

Rev.  viii.  12,  13.  ^' And  the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third 
pari  of  the  sun  uas  smitten,  and  the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the 
third  part  of  the  stars ;  so  as  the  third  part  of  them  was  darkerud, 
and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  liktwisc. 

And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  fying  through  the  miast  ofheck- 
vtn,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Woe,  uoe,  uoe,  to  the  inhabittrs  of  th'i 
earth  by  reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels, 
xchich  are  yet  to  sound!" 

This  prophecy  relates  to  the  extinction  of  the  impe- 
rial government"  of  Rome  "  in  the  West."  This  govern- 
ment continued  for  a  few  years  after  the  sacking  of  Rorrie 
by  Genseric.  After  the  Vandals  were  driven  from  Italy 
by  Majorian,  the  empire  passed  into  the  hands  of  Ricineu, 
Glyserius,  Julius  Nepos,  and  finally,  Orestes  ;  who,  for 
resisting  the  demands  of  the  barbarians  for  '  the  third 
part  of  the  lands  of  Italy,'  was  deposed,  and  Odoacer 
was  promoted  tc  that  dignity.  He  deposed  the  last  of  the 
Roman  emperois,  Augustulus  Momyllus,  A.  D.  476,  and 
the  seat  of  empire  is  transferred  from  Rome  to  Constanti- 
nople.  Thus,  under  Odoacer,  who  received  the  title  of 
Patrician,  &c.  '  the  Goths,  who  before  possessed  the 
power,  was  formally  confirmed,  and  the  dominion  of  the 
bsirbarians  established  in  Rome.' 

CENTUHY  SIXTH. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  turn  the  eye  upon  the  history  of 
this  century,  to  discover  the  rapid  approximation  of  the 
Romish  See,  to  the  final  establishment  of  the  Papacy. 


27 


P£H!OD  THIRD. 

CENTURY  SEVENTH. 

The  corruptions  and  growing  power  ©f  the  See  of 
Rome,  had  now  ripened  into  a  state  which  resulted,  in  the 
sixth  vear  of  this  century,  in  constituting  Boniface  the 
III.  UNIVERSAL  BISHOP,  or  head  of  the  Ecclesiasti- 
cal world.  This,  together  with  the  rise  of  the  MAnoME- 
TAN  IMPOSTURE,  commenccs  the  period  of  the  middle  or 
dark  ages,  which  extends  to  the  time  of  the  Reformation, 
A.  D.  1517.  The  purple  and  the  orange  colors  now  de- 
signate the  comparative  extent  of  the  Romish  See,  The 
orange  color  is  designed  to  show  that  that  See,  though 
exceedingly  corrupt,  still  retained  some  of  the  distinctive 
features  of  true  Christianity.  The  green,  the  rise  and 
progress  of  Mahomedism ;  the  yellow  in  the  centre,  that 
of  the  true  Church ;  and  the  crimson,  the  persecution 
and  suffering  of  the  true  Church,  from  the  united  jx)wers 
of  the  Papacy  and  Mahomedism. 


PROPHECY.   PERIOD  SECOND. 

(From  the  year  606,  to  the  year  1792.) 

This  period  embraces  the  whole  duration  of  the  Two 
Great  Apostasies,  Mohammedism  in  the  East,  and  Popb- 
RY  in  the  West,  under  the  three  woe  trumpets. 

"  The  first  of  these  describes  the  two-fold  Apostasy  in 
its  rise ;  the  second,  in  the  zenith  of  its  power,  till  the  rise 
of  Antichrist ;  and  the  third  describes  more  particularly 
the  horrors  of  Antichrist,  and  the  downfall  of  these  three 
powers  together.  The  two  branches  of  the  great  Apos- 
tasy  run  parallel  to  each  other  ;  but  to  avoid  confusion, 
the  history  of  each  is  given  separately.  The  whole  du- 
ration of  this  second  period  is  described  in  Rev.  ix-xiv. 
The, first  Woe  Trumpet  begins  to  sound  A.  D.  606,  when 
the  two-fold  Apostasy  commences.  The  second,  A.  D. 
1281,  when  the  four  Sultanies  subdue  the  Eastern  Empire. 
The  third,  A.  D  1792,  when  Antichrist  appears." 

FIRST.  THE  EASTERN  BRANCH,  OR  mohammedism.  ReV.  ix. 

Sounding  of  the  Fifth  Trumpet. 
1st  Woe  Trumpet,  as  it  regards  Mohammedism.  A  star 
falls  from  heaven  to  earth — opens  the  bottomless  pit,  and 


28 


lets  out  a  vast  swarm  of  Locusts,  and  their  leader  Apolly- 
on  at  their  head.  Their  commission  is  to  torment  only 
the  men  who  had  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their  forehead. 
As  far  as  appears,  this  star  was  the  apostate  Sergeus, 
who  assisted  Mohammed,  or  Apollyon,  in  forging  his 
imposture  in  the  year  606.  The  Locusts  were  the  Sara- 
cens, the  disciples  of  Mohammed,  who  ravaged  the  earth 
for  150  years,  from  612  to  762,  and  then  rested  and 
settled. 

Sounding  of  the  Sixth  Trumpet. 
2d  Woe  Trumpet.  The  four  Angels  which  wero 
bound  in  the  river  Euphrates  are  loosed  for  an  hour,  and 
a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year,  and  the  number  of  their 
horsemen  were  two  hundred  thousand  thousand.  That  is, 
the  four  Sultanies  who  had  their  dominion  on  the  banks 
of  the  Euphrates  were  no  longer  restrained,  but  had  their 
hberty  to  extend  their  conquests.  And  with  their  myriads 
of  Turks  they  over-ran  and  subdued  the  Eastern  Roman 
Empire,  and  took  possession  of  Constantinople.  The  four 
Sultanies  were  let  loose  A.  D.  1281,  and  continued  their 
devastation  till  the  year  1672.    In  all  391  years. 

SJECONDLY.     THE  WESTERN  BRANCH,  OR  POPERY. 

Rev.  xi — xiv. 
In  Rev.  chap,  x,  the  Angel  of  the  covenant  produceth 
the  Little  Book,  which  comprehends  the  next  four  chap- 
ters. And  in  this  little  book  is  written  the  whole  history 
of  Popery,  during  the  1260  years,  under  the  whole  three 
Woe  Trumpets.  In  point  of  chronology,  these  four  chap- 
tei's.  Rev.  xi,  xii,  xiii,  xiv,  run  parallel  to  each  other,  re- 
lating severally,  though  with  some  variety  of  circumstances, 
to  the  same  period,  and  the  same  events ;  so  as  to  form 
jointly  a  complete  history  of  Popery. 

1.  The  prophesying  of  the  two  Witnesses,  Rev.  xi. 
This  chapter  takes  a  view  of  the  whole  duration  of  Po- 
pery, under  the  whole  of  the  three  Woe  Trumpets.  By 
the  Temple  of  God  is  meant,  true  Christians  ;  by  the  outer 
Court,  nommal  Christians ;  by  the  holy  City,  the  visible 
Church ;  and  by  the  Two  Witnesses,  which  are  the  same 
with  the  two  olive  trees  and  the  two  candlesticks,  we  ara 


29 


to  understand  the  two  branches  of  the  Church  of  Clirist, 
that  before,  and  that  after  liis  Incarnation  ;  the  one  found- 
ed on  the  twelve  Patriarchs,  and  the  other  on  the  twelve 
Apostles,  both  which  testify  with  one  mouth.  This  true 
Church  of  Christ,  founded  on  the  Apostles  and  Prophets, 
received  political  life  at  the  Reformation  from  the  year 
1530  to  the  year  1537,  under  the  Elector  of  Saxony  and 
the  Landgrave  of  Hesse.  The  Witnesses  were  slain  by 
the  last  head  of  the  Beast,  or  the  last  form  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  by  the  instigation  of  the  Pope,  at  the  battle  of 
Malburge,  A.  D.  1547  ;  and  were  brought  to  hfe  at  their 
victory  over  the  Duke  of  Magdeburgh,  1550.  The  Pro- 
testants soon  after  became  an  acknowledged  Church,  and 
so  ascended  into  heaven. 

2.  The  War  of  the  Dragon  with  the  Woman.  Rev.  xii. 
This  chapter  like  the  preceding  treats  of  the  whole  du- 
ration of  Popery.  Heaven  is  the  general  Church,  the 
same  as  the  holy  city  in  the  last  chapter.  The  woman  is 
the  spiritual  church,  the  same  as  the  temple  and  the  two 
witnesses.  And  the  part  of  heaven  occupied  by  the  Dragon 
is  the  nominal  church  of  the  Apostasy,  the  same  as  the 
outer  court.  The  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  standing  on 
llie  moon,  and  crowned  with  twelve  stars,  is  the  Church 
founded  by  the  twelve  Apostles,  which  borrows  her  light 
and  righteousness  from  Christ.  The  man  child,  is  the 
word  of  God,  of  which  the  world  travailed  for  six  centu- 
ries. The  Dragon  is  the  Devil  trying  to  destroy  the  gospel 
by  encouraging  Apostasy,  persecution  and  superstitions,  by 
which  he  drew  the  Roman  Bisliops  to  apostatize.  The 
woman  flies  into  the  wilderness,  into  obscurity,  during  the 
1260  years.  Victory  is  obtained  over  the  Dragon  at  the 
Reformation :  and  the  chief  engine  of  Satan  is  no  longer 
the  church  of  Rome,  but  Infidehty,  which  comes  in  under 
tlie  third  Woe  Trumpet. 

3.  The  Ten-horned  Beast  of  the  Sea,  Rev.  xiii. 

This  is  the  same  with  Daniel's  fourth  beast,  and  means 
the  secular  Roman  Empire,  which  was  a  beast  in  its  heathen 
state,  and  five  of  its  heads,  or  forms  of  government,  had 
fallen  before  John's  time.  The  sixth  head  which  then  ex- 
isted, received  his  deadly  wound,  and  ceased  to  be  a  beast 


30 


in  the  time  of  Constantine,  A.  D.  313,  when  tiie  Empire 
professed  Christianity.  His  deadly  wound  was  healed 
when  the  Emperor  Phocas  set  up  Popery,  his  little  horn, 
and  so  became  a  beast  again,  to  wear  out  the  saints  for 
forty-two  months,  or  1260  years.  The  seventh  or  last 
head  of  the  beast  is  in  the  West,  and  the  eighth  head  is 
of  the  seventh.  When  Charlemagne  was  Patrician  of 
Rome,  he  was  the  seventh  head ;  and  when  he  became 
Emperor  of  Germany,  he  was  the  eighth  head,  which  lasts 
in  some  form  or  other  to  the  end  of  the  1260  years. 

4.  Tlie  two-horned  Beast  of  the  Earth.  Rev.  xhi.  11. 

The  earth  is  the  Roman  Empire,  and  the  beast  that 
springs  out  of  it  is  Popery,  In  the  year  606,  the  tyran- 
nical Emperor  Phocas  gave  Pope  Boniface  an  universal 
empire  in  spirituals.  The  Pope  is  the  head  of  the  beast, 
the  regular  and  secular  Clergy,  as  distinct  ecclesiastical 
kingdoms,  are  his  two  horns.  He  speaks  as  Satan  moves 
him,  and  employs  all  the  power  of  the  Empire,  and  causeth 
all  to  pay  devotion  to  the  principles  which  made  the  Em- 
pire a  beast,  such  as  worshipping  images  and  persecuting 
the  saints.  The  two-horned  beast  made  an  Image  to  the 
ten-horned  beast,  that  is,  the  Pope  restored  persecution 
and  idolatry,  which  the  Empire  once  practised  with  de- 
light. The  name,  not  of  the  Popedom,  but  of  the  Em- 
pire, is  Latinus.  The  mark  of  the  beast  is  the  cross,  used 
for  the  purpose  of  cruelty  and  superstition.  The  harlot 
which  rides  on  the  beast  is  the  Popedom  supported  by  the 
Empire. 

5.  Of  the  true  Church  during  the  Apostasy.  Rev.  xiv. 

The  144,000,  are  the  same  with  the  two  Witnesses,  the 
line  of  faithful  believers  descending  from  the  Apostles,  and 
prior  to  the.  reformation.  In  the  world  they  had  tribula- 
tion, but  they  had  joy  in  God,  and  their  character  is  here 
described.  The  three  first  Angels  may  be  the  Lutheran, 
the  Calvinistic,  and  the  English  churches,  at  the  time  of 
the  reformation.  The  three  last  Angels  refer  to  things 
under  the  last  Woe  Trumpet,  when  the  Vials  are  poured 
out. 

Thus  we  have  seen  that  the  four  chapters  of  the  littk 


31 


book  run  parallel  to  each  other,  and  take  different  views 
of  the  same  subject  during  the  1260  years. 

Chap.  11.  The  church  in  distress  and  obscurity. 

12.  Her  conflicts  with  Satan,  and  victory  over  him. 

13.  Her  sufferings  from  the  Roman  Empire  and  from  Popery. 

14.  The  joy  and  triumph  of  the  church  in  her  God. 

Preparations  for  the  Third  Period.  Rev.  xv. 
In  this  chapter,  the  seven  Angels  receive  their  commis- 
sion, and  are  preparing  to  pour  out  the  seven  Vials  of  de- 
:st ruction  on  the  great  enemies  of  God  and  the  gospel. 
In  beholding  this,  the  true  followers  of  the  Lamb,  who  had 
steered  clear  of  Popery,  are  represented  as  standing  on  a 
sea  of  glass,  firm  and  tranquil,  though  living  in  tempestuous 
times,  and  singing  the  song  of  Moses,  because  their  enemies 
are  soon  to  fall.  At  the  close  of  the  second  Woe  Trumpet 
in  the  year  1789,  there  w-as  a  great  earthquake,  and 
France,  the  third  part  of  the  city,  fell. 

CENTURY  EIGHTH, 
CENTURY  NINTH, 
CENTURY  TENTH,  AND 
CENTURY  ELEVENTH, 

the  same  as  the  seventh,  with  the  little  variations  designa- 
ted  by  the  contraction  or  expansion  of  the  lines  of  com- 
parison. The  Crusades  commence  at  the  close  of  this 
last  century,  and  continue  till  the  time  of  the  Reform- 
ation. 

CENTURY  TWELFTH. 

.  In  this  century  the  true  Church  flourishes  under  the 
faithful  and  zealous  Peter  Waldo,  the  founder  of  the 
Waldenses.  The  gospel  by  him  is  carried  into  different 
parts,  and  persecution  rages  to  a  most  fearful  extent. 

CENTURY  THIRTEENTH. 

The  Church  during  this  century,  diminishes  under  per- 
secutioiM  from  Papal  Rome,  whose  spiritual  dominion  had 
now  arose  to  its  highest  possible  point  of  attainment. 

CENTURV  FOURTEENTH. 

During  this  century,  the  great  Western  Schism,  and 
the  extermination  of  the  Albigenses,  form  the  two  most 
conspicuous  events, 

4 


32 


CENTURY  FIFTEENTH. 

The  occurrences  most  interesting  in  this  century  are, 
the  revival  of  karning  in  Europe,  the  discovery  of  Ameri- 
ca^ and  the  invention  of  the  Art  of  Printing,  all  of  which 
prepared  the  way  for  the  Reformation,  with  which  com- 
menc  es 

PERIOD  FOURTH, 

A.  D.  1517,  and  extends  to  the  present  day. 

CENTURY  SIXTEENTH. 

At  the  opening  of  this  century,  the  Church  is  greatly 
reduced,  and  persecution  rages  with  almost  unprecedented 
fury.  But  in  the  midst  of  an  almost  total  moral  and  reli- 
gious darkness,  corruption  and  suffering,  the  light  of  the 
Reformation  dawns  upon  the  Church,  and  under  the 
blessing  of  her  great  and  glorious  Head,  continues  through 

CENTURY  SEVENTEEN, 
CENTURY  EIGHTEEN'  AND 
CENTURY  NTXETEEN, 

to  increase  with  great  rapidity.  The  rise  and  progress 
of  the  Reformation,  and  its  division  into  the  various  Pro- 
testant  denominations  to  which  it  gave  existence,  are  de- 
signated  by  the  lines  which  run  through  the  several  parts 
of  the  diagrams  colored  yellow,  and  the  names  of  each 
are  inserted  at  the  top.  The  Infidel  Power  takes  its 
rise  in  the  17th  century,  assumes  a  formidable  and  dis- 
tinctive character  A.  D.  1762,  and  continues  through  the 
18th  and  19th,  and  is  colored  black. 


PROPHECY.    PERIOD  THIRD. 

(Commences  in  the  year  1792.) 
THE  REIGN  OF  ANTICHRIST. 

This  in  reality  is  the  latter  part  of  the  second  period, 
and  is  considered  as  a  distinct  period,  because  a  new  grand 
enemy  of  God  now  makes  his  appearance  on  the  earth ; 
the  great  Antichrist,  who  denieth  both  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  This  is  the  same  with  Daniel's  Inlidel  king,  or 
atheistical  power,  which  made  his  appearance  at  the  French 
revolution  in  the  year  1762. — The  third  period  begins  and 
ternunates  with  the  third  woe  trumpet,  which  begins  to 


33 


sound  August  12,  A.  D.  1792.  Under  this  trumpet  the 
seven  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  are  poured  out  on  the 
great  enemies  of  his  church  ;  and  these  vials  are  the  same 
with  the  seven  thunders,  and  the  last  plagues. — This  pe- 
riod, or  the  duration  of  the  last  trumpet,  is  divided  into 
three  parts — The  harvest,  the  intermediate  space,  and  the 
vintage.  The  first  three  vials  belong  to  the  harvest ;  the 
next  three  vials,  to  the  intermediate  space  ;  and  the  last 
vial,  which  lasts  much  longer,  and  is  far  more  tremendous 
than  all  the  rest,  belongs  to  the  vintage.  One  vial  is  not 
finished  before  another  begins  to  be  poured  out. 

1.  The  Harvest.  Rev.  xvi. 

This  harvest  of  God's  wrath  commenced  with  the  French 
Revolution,  and  the  first  vial  began  immediately  to  be  pour- 
ed  out  on  the  Latin  earth,  on  the  subjects  of  the  Pope,  and 
of  the  Infidel  king.  During  this  harvest,  the  first  three 
vials  are  pouring  out  their  dreadful  contents,  by  which  we 
are  to  understand  the  miseries  inflicted  upon  mankind  by 
the  tyranny  of  Antichrist ;  the  horrors,  wars,  massacres, 
and  devastations  which  now  fill  Europe.  As  these  events 
are  not  completely  fulfilled,  we  cannot  speak  particularly 
respecting  each  vial.  It  is  however  on  the  whole  probable, 
that  we  are  now  under  the  third  and  last  vial  of  the  harvest, 
though  the  two  first  may  still  be  running. 

2.  The  Intermediate  Space, 

This  is  the  time  between  the  harvest  and  the  vintage, 
during  which  three  more  of  the  vials  will  be  poured  out,! 
not  on  Protestant  nations,  but  upon  those  who  have  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  who  have  shed  the  blood  of  the 
saints ;  and  upon  those  who  have  blasphemed  the  name 
of  God  ;  that  is,  upon  Papists,  blaspheming  Atheists,  and 
Mohammedans.  It  is  conjectured  by  some,  that  the  first 
of  the  three  intermediate  vials  will  destroy  the  French  Em- 
pire ;  the  second,  the  Roman  Empire  ;  and  the  third,  the 
Turkish  Empire,  to  prepare  the  way  for  pouring  out  the 
last  vial  of  all  during  the  time  of  the  vintage,  when  all  the 
great  enemies  of  God  shall  fall  together. 

3.  The  Vintage, 
The  vintage  and  the  last  vial  are  of  the  same  dura. 


34 


tion  ;  and  this  vial  of  consummation  which  lasts  for  a  long 
while,  is  of  all  others  by  far  the  most  tremendous.  Three 
very  important  events  take  place  under  it.  namely,  The 
great  earthquake — The  fall  of  Babylon — and  the  battle  of 
Armageddon. 

1.  The  great  earthquake,  or  a  great  revolution  which 
will  divide  the  Latin  Roman  Earth  into  three  great  Em- 
pires, which  probably  will  be  Russia,  Germany,  and 
France. 

2.  The  fall  of  spiritual  Babylon,  or  the  entire  subver- 
sion of  the  Papacy,  which  is  here  called  the  false  prophet, 
and  the  harlot,  and  is  the  same  with  the  little  horn  of  Da- 
niel's  fourth  beast.  This  is  not  to  take  place  till  the  end 
of  the  1260  years. 

3.  The  great  battle  of  Armageddon.  At  the  close  of  the 
1260  years,  the  Roman  beast  under  his  last  head,  the  false 
prophet,  and  the  Infidel  power  will  be  leagued  together  to 
make  war  against  the  word  of  God.  These  three  powers 
will  gather  their  myriads  together,  and  will  go  forth  re- 
solved to  exterminate  Christianity  from  the  face  of  the 
earth.  They  will  march  their  numberless  hosts  to  the 
holy  land  against  the  Jews,  then  beginning  to  return,  and 
aided  by  protestant  nations.  But  God  in  some  way  or 
other  will  come  in  that  day  against  his  enemies,  to  take 
vengeance  upon  them,  "  And  there  shall  be  a  time  of 
trouble  such  as  never  was  smce  there  was  a  nation.'* 
At  Megiddo  in  the  holy  land,  between  the  Dead  Sea  and 
the  Mediterranean,  these  three  grand  enemies  of  God  and 
truth,  with  their  myriads,  shall  fall  together,  to  rise  no  more 
for  ever.  Then  shall  the  remamder  of  the  Jews  be  gathered 
from  all  countries  into  their  own  land.  After  this  follows 
the  happy  Millennium  ;  and  the  whole  church  shall  finally 
be  gathered  into  everlasting  glory. 

Rev.  xvii,  xvhi,  xix. 
These  three  chapters  are  not  a  continuation  of  the  history, 
neither  do  they  mtroduce  any  new  subject ;  but  they  give 
a  more  detailed  account  of  some  branches  of  the  preceding 
history ;  and  more  particularly  of  the  events  that  shali 
take  place  under  the  vial  of  the  vintage. 


35 


Chap.  xvii.  This  chapter  gives  us  an  enlarged  account 
of  the  church  of  Rome,  the  spiritual  harlot,  the  mystic 
Babylon  ;  of  her  union  with  the  Roman  Empire ;  of  her 
flourishing  state  while  the  ten  kings  gave  their  power  to 
the  Empire,  and  made  war  with  the  Lamb :  of  her  de- 
clining state  when  some  of  the  ten  kings  should  hate  her 
and  strip  her  naked :  and  of  her  being  at  last  burned  with 
fire. 

Chap,  xviii.  This  chapter  contains  an  account  of  the 
Jinal  overthrow  of  the  church  of  Rome,  or  spiritual  Babylon, 
and  shows  how  all  the  kings,  priests,  and  people  that  have 
traded  with  her,  and  refused  to  come  out  of  her,  shall,  at 
the  time  of  her  final  destruction,  be  filled  with  astonish- 
ment, horror,  and  consternation. 

Chap.  xix.  We  have  here  the  exceeding  great  joy  and 
triumph  of  all  true  believers  towards  the  close  of  the 
1260  years.  They  greatly  rejoice  to  see  the  kingdom 
of  Satan  fall.  They  praise  God  aloud  for  the  glorious 
progress  of  the  gospel,  called  here  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb.  They  fill  heaven  and  earth  with  their  hallelu- 
jahs  for  the  complete  and  final  victories  of  Christ  over  all 
antichristian  and  apostate  powers,  at  the  great  battle  of 
Armageddon. 

Tlie  MiUennium  and  the  glory  to  co?ne.  Rev.  xx,  xxi,  xxii.  • 

Chap.  XX.  The  Millennium. — At  the  commencement  of 
this  period,  Satan  shall  be  bound  for  a  thousand  years,  and 
not  suffered  to  tempt  and  delude  the  nations.  The  pure 
religion  of  Jesus  shall  overspread  the  whole  earth  with  ex- 
traordinary  power,  till  all  nations  shall  be  filled  with  hoh- 
ness,  possess  the  spirit  of  ancient  martyrs,  and  resemble 
the  inhabitants  of  heaven :  yet  none  will  be  perfect  till 
they  pass  through  death  to  glory.  When  the  thousand 
years  are  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  for  a  short  time : 
and  when  the  Christians  of  the  Millennium  shall  have  died 
away,  a  new  race  of  enemies  to  Christ  shall  arise  after 
tliem,  who,  through  the  instigation  of  Satan,  shall  assemble 
together  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  a  host  innu- 
rnerable,  and  shall  make  war  against  the  remnant  of  true 
believers,  but  shall  not  prevail.  No,  they  shall  fall  by  mil- 
lions, under  the  heavy  wrath  of  God,  for  their  enmity 
against  his  beloved  Son  and  the  children  of  his  grace. 
4* 


36 


This  will  be  the  last  attempt  to  extirpate  Christianity  from 
the  earth.  Soon  after  this  contest  the  day  of  judgment  will 
appear.  The  two  last  chapters  of  the  book  of  Revelation 
describe  the  heavenly  state  and  the  glory  which  shall  en- 
dure for  ever. 


ISubjoined  to  the  preceding,  are  the  following  judicious 
observations  upon  the  prophecies  of  Daniel,  taken,  also, 
from  Jones'  Scripture  Directory. 

The  prophecies  of  Daniel  are  divided  into  five  distinct 
branches:  viz.  1.  The  civil  history  of  the  world.  2.  The 
Papacy.  3.  Mohammedism.  4.  The  reign  of  Infidelity. 
5.  And  the  reign  of  the  Saints, 

I.  The  civil  history  of  the  world  is  given  in  the  prophetic 
dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  chap.  ii.  and  in  the  first  vision 
of  Daniel,  chap.  vii.  The  four  parts  of  the  image  in  Ne- 
buchadnezzar's dream,  and  the  four  beasts  in  Daniel's  vi- 
sion, mean  exactly  the  same  things,  and  these  are,  the  four 
universal  empires  that  should  arise  one  after  another  in  re- 
gular succession,  and  extend  from  the  days  of  Daniel  to  the 
Millennium ;  which  empires  are  the  Babylon,  the  ^ledo. 
Persian,  the  Grecian  or  Macedonian,  and  the  Roman. — 
1.  The  golden  head  of  the  image,  and  the  lion  with  eagle's 
wings,  represent  the  Bahylonian  empire,  which  was  soon 
after  destroyed  by  Cyrus  the  Persian. — 2.  The  silver 
breasts  and  arms  of  the  image,  and  the  bear  with  three 
ribs  in  its  mouth,  are  the  Medo-Persian  empire  ;  which  for 
cruelty  was  a  devouring  bear,  and  swallowed  up  three 
kingdoms,  and  was  itself  subdued  by  Alexander  the.iMace- 
donian,  after  it  had  existed  two  hundred  and  six  years. — 
3.  The  brazen  belly  and  thighs  of  the  image,  and  the  leop- 
ard with  four  wings  and  four  heads,  mean  the  Macedonian 
or  Greek  empire,  which,  in  fifteen  years  after  the  death 
of  Alexander,  was  divided  into  four  separate  kingdoms. 
This  empire  lasted  in  all  about  one  hundred  and  eighty 
years. — 4.  The  feet  of  iron  and  clay  ;  and  the  ten-horned 
f)east  with  iron  teeth,  diverse  from  all  others,  represent  the 
Roman  empire,  which  subdued  the  Macedonian,  and  was 
afterwards  itself  divided  into  ten  kingdoms,  and  is  to  con- 
t'nue  in  one  form  or  other  until  the  Millennium,  and  is,  of 
all  others,  the  most  formidable  enemy  to  the  spiritual  church 


I 


J 

37 

of  Christ.    These  empires  are  particularly  noticed  in  pro-  i 
phecy,  on  account  of  their  violent  opposition  to,  and  bloody 
persecution  of,  the  church  of  God.  j 

II.  The  second  branch  of  Daniel's  prophecy  is  the  Pa- 
pacy.  While  Daniel  was  considering  the  ten  horns,  or  the 
ten  kingdoms  of  the  Roman  empire,  he  saw  another  little  , 


horn  springing  up  among  them,  and  this  little  horn  is  the  | 
Papacy  ;  not  the  temporal,  but  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  the 

Pope  ;  his  ecclesiastical  tyranny,  chap.  vii.    He  continued  j 

for  some  time  as  a  horn,  or  first  bishop,  in  a  harmless  state.  ^ 

But  in  the  year  606,  he  was  made  universal  bishop  ;  and  ; 

from  that  time  he  became  an  apostate  power,  the  false  pro-  ] 


phet,  and  the  man  of  sin.    He  takes  possession  of  three  of  I 
the  kingdoms  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  exercises  spiritual  ^ 
tyranny  over  all  the  rest.    His  looks  are  more  stout  than 
his  fellows,  having  iron  teeth  and  a  mouth  speaking  proud  \ 
blasphemies.    When  the  Pope  received  his  spiritual  uni-  \ 
versal  empire,  the  saints  were  given  into  his  hands  to  per- 
secute:  he  made  war  with  them,  and  prevailed  against  ' 
them,  and  shed  more  of  the  blood  of  the  saints  of  God  than 
all  the  heathens  had  done  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
The  reign  of  tlie  Papacy  is  to  continue  in  one  form  or  ; 
other,  as  an  idolatrous  or  infidel  power,  for  the  space  of  j 
1260  years.    During  which  period,  the  witnesses  or  saints 
are  to  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  or  in  a  suffering  condition.  ' 

III.  The  third  branch  of  this  prophecy  is  Mohammedism . 
As  the  four  great  empires  seen  by  Nebuchadnezzar  were 
revealed  again  to  Daniel,  for  the  sake  of  discovering  the  1 
Papacy  r.'sing  out  of  the  fourth,  or  Roman  empire  :  so  two  ! 
of  the  same  empires  are  brought  a  second  time  before  Da-  1 
niel,  viz.  the  Medo-Persian  cmd  Macedonian,  under  the  1 
symbols  of  the  ram  with  two  horns,  and  the  he-goat,  for 
the  sake  of  discovering  to  him  Mohammedism  ri^ng  out  of  i 
the  the  third  empire,  or  Macedonian,  chap.  viii. — The  he-  i 
goat,  or  Alexander  the  Macedonian,  broke  the  two  horrist 
of  the  ram,  that  is,  subdued  both  Media  and  Persia.  And 
soon  after  the  Macedonian  empire  itself  was  divided  into 
four  kingdoms ;  and  out  of  one  of  these,  Mohammedism 
sprang  up,  under  the  symbol  of  another  httle  horn,  diffe- 
rent from  the  little  horn  of  the  fourth  beast,  which  is  Po-  j 
pery. — The  little  horn  of  the  he-goat,  or  the  spiritual  king-  j 


38 


dom  of  Mohammed,  is  thus  described.  From  small  begin- 
ning, he  waxed  exceeding  great;  employed  his  power 
against  the  host  of  heaven,  God's  worshippers  ;  and  cast 
down  some  of  the  stars,  the  brightest  luminaries  of  the 
church,  and  stamped  upon  them  :  magnified  himself  against 
Christ,  the  prince  of  princes  ;  polluted  and  cast  down  the 
sanctuary,  the  church  of  Christ :  took  away  the  daily  sa- 
crifices of  prayer  and  praise,  and  sacred  ordinances :  cast 
down  the  truth  to  the  ground :  practised  wickedness,  and 
prospered  in  it  by  crafty  policy :  set  up  the  abomination 
of  desolation,  his  own  abominable  religion,  which  desolated 
the  church  of  God,  destroyed  it  almost  wholly  in  all  Mo- 
hammedan countries,  and  left  not  even  witnesses  to  pro- 
phesy in  sackcloth  as  in  popish  kingdoms. 

The  two  great  apostasies,  Mohammedism  and  Popery, 
commenced  in  the  same  year,  which,  as  far  as  appears, 
was  the  year  A.  D.  606.  They  are  both  to  last  the  same 
length  of  time,  for  1260  years,  and  then  both  to  come 

down  together.  During  this  period  of  1260  years,  the 

abomination  of  desolation,  or  the  two  apostasies,  are  to  con- 
tmue  ;  the  court  of  the  temple,  or  profession  of  the  church, 
and  the  sanctuary,  or  spiritual  church,  to  be  trodden  under 
foot ;  the  woman  to  remain  in  the  wilderness  ;  the  wit- 
nesses, or  true  believers,  to  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  suffering 
from  the  two  apostasies.  But  at  the  expiration  of  the  1260 
years,  the  enemies  of  God  and  his  church  shall  be  subdued 
and  destroyed  together.  The  ten-horned  beast,  or  Roman 
empire ;  the  two  little  horns,  the  Papacy  and  Mohamme- 
dism ;  and  the  infidel  king,  or  Antichrist,  shall  all  come 
down  together,  to  rise  no  more.  Now  the  sanctuary  shall 
be  cleansed,  the  Jews  begin  to  be  restored,  and  the  Gen- 
tiles called  into  the  church. 

IV.  The  fourth  branch  of  this  prophecy  (according  to 
Dr.  Faber)  is  Antichrist^  or  the  reign  of  infidelity.  As 
the  four  great  empires  were  revealed  to  Daniel  to  show 
him  the  Papacy  ;  and  again,  two  of  these  empires  to  show 
him  Mohammedism  :  so  this  third  time,  nearly  the  whole 
is  made  to  pass  in  review  before  him,  in  order  to  show 
him  Antichrist,  chap.  xi.  This  chapter  is  a  connected 
history  of  events  from  the  days  of  Daniel  to  the  time  of 
the  end.    Thus,  the  overthrow  of  Medea  and  Persia,  ver. 


39 


I,  2.  The  power  of  Grecia,  and  its  division,  verse  3,  4. 
A  complete  history  of  the  wars  between  Egypt  and  Syria, 
ver.  5 — 10.  The  sacking  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans, 
ver.  31.  The  persecutions  of  the  primitive  Christians,  ver. 
32,  33.  The  conversion  of  the  empire  under  Constantine, 
ver.  34. — From  ver.  36  to  the  end  of  the  chapter,  we  have 
an  account  of  the  rise,  progress,  and  downfall  of  a  new  and 
infidel  power,  which  is  to  be  a  monster  of  wickedness. 
And  this  infidel  king  is  Antichrist.  And  this  Antichrist 
cannot  be  either  of  the  two  little  horns,  but  a  new  power 
distinct  from  both.  He  does  not  spring  up  at  the  same 
time  with  them ;  and  is  described  by  different  marks.  He 
does  not  make  his  appearance  till  after  the  second  (or  pa- 
pal) persecution  of  the  men  of  understanding,  which  took 
place  at, the  reformation.  This  new  infidel  power  is  thus 
described :  he  shall  speak  marvellous  things  against  the 
true  God,  neither  shall  he  regard  the  gods  of  his  fathers, 
nor  Christ,  (whom  women  desired)  nor  any  other  god,  but 
shall  magnify  himself  above  every  object  of  worship.  And 
yet  he  will  establish  a  foreign  god,  and  inferior  deities,  and 
shall  divide  the  land  among  the  champions  of  these  new  gods. 
The  conduct  of  revolutionary  France  exactly  answers  to  the 
description  here  given  of  the  infidel  king.  This  atheistical 
power  has  cast  away  the  living  God  and  his  Christ,  and  the 
gods  of  papists  and  heathens  :  and  after  all  decreed  that 
liberty  was  a  god,  canonized  infidels,  and  worshipped  hu- 
man  reason.  And  as  far  as  appears,  this  is  the  Antichrist 
that  was  to  come,  who  denieth  both  the  Father  and  the  Son, 
wliich  the  papists  never  did.  And  do  not  the  infidel  ty- 
rants which  now  trample  on  Europe,  answer  in  every  fea- 
ture to  the  race  of  men  that  Peter  and  Jude  predicted 
would  appear  in  the  latter  days  on  the  earth  ?  See  2  Peter 
li.  Jude's  Epistle. 

V.  The  fifth  branch  of  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  is  the 
Millennium,  the  reign  of  Christ ;  called  also  the  reign  of 
the  saints.  This  is  to  be  the  fiflh  universal  empire ;  to 
begin  where  the  fourth  ends,  and  to  last  for  ever.  The 
Roman  empire,  the  Papacy,  Mohammedism,  and  Antichrist 
are  all  to  come  down  together  at  the  expiration  of  the  1260 
years,  which  (if  they  commenced  606)  will  terminate  in 


40 


the  year  1866 .  Then  shall  the  reign  of  Christ  commences 
The  prophecies  respecting  the  spiritual  empire  are  not  here 
deHvered  separately  by  themselves ;  but  interspersed 
through  the  book,  and  annexed  to  each  of  all  the  other  pro- 
phecies.  And  as  we  are  plainly  told  that  the  universal  do- 
minion of  Christ  will  commence  at  the  expiration  of  each  of 
the  antichristian  powers,  this  fully  proves  that  they  are  all 
to  come  down  together. — When  the  fourth  empire  termi- 
nates,  the  God  of  heaven  shall  set  up  a  kingdom,  which 
shall  break  in  pieces  all  the  former  kingdoms,  and  stand 
for  ever.  Now  the  stone  will  become  a  mountain  that 
shall  fill  the  whole  earth,  chap;  ii. — Where  the  Papacy 
ends,  one  like  the  Son  of  Man  will  come  with  the  clouds 
of  heaven,  and  will  receive  dominion  and  glory,  and  a  king- 
dom,  that  all  people,  nations,  and  languages  shall  serve 
him  :  his  dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  and  his  king- 
dom that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed.  And  now  the  time 
is  come,  that  the  saints  shall  possess  the  kingdom,  chap, 
vii. — When  Mohammedism  comes  down,  then  the  sane- 
tuary  shall  be  cleansed,  the  daily  sacrifice  restored,  the 
truth  prevail,  and  the  host  be  no  longer  trodden  under  foot, 
chap.  viii. — When  the  Injidel  tyrant,  or  Antichrist  comes 
to  his  end,  then  Michael  the  Prince  shall  stand  up  and  de- 
liver his  people,  every  one  that  shall  be  written  in  the  book  : 
and  they  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the 
firmament ;  and  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as 
the  stars  for  ever  and  ever.  Blessed  is  he  that  waiteth  and 
Cometh  to  this  glorious  period,  when  Christ  shall  take  the 
kingdom,  chap.  xii. 

Note. — The  church  of  God  has  already  endured  two 
very  severe  persecutions ;  the  first  from  heathen  emperors  ; 
the  second  from  the  Papists  :  a  third,  far  more  violent  than 
both  these,  is  yet  to  come.  At  the  time  of  the  end,  the 
atheistical  tyrant  and  the  false  prophet,  i.e.  Antichrist  and 
Popery,  will  join  in  league  against  the  rising  kingdom  of 
Christ,  fully  determined  to  extirpate  the  religion  and  church 
of  God  from  the  earth.  They  shall  go  forth  with  great 
fiiry  to  destroy,  and  shall  proceed  till  they  come  into  the 
land  of  Canaan,  and  there  they  shall  finally  fall,  Dan.  xi. 
41 — 45,   When  Christ  shall  come  against  them  in  the  glory 


41 

of  his  power,  there  shall  be  a  time  of  trouble,  (to  these 
apostate  tyrants)  such  as  never  was  since  there  was  a  na- 
tion. After  this,  Christ  and  his  saints  shall  reign,  chap, 
xii.  Let  the  spirit  and  the  bride  continue  to  cry.  Come 
Lord  Jesus. 

The  prophetic  language  of  Rev.  vi.  5,  6,  speaking  of 
things  that  are  not  as  though  they  were,"  and  as  illus- 
trated  in  the  vignette  at  the  close  of  the  19th  century,  is 
introduced  with  a  view  to  impress  upon  the  mind  the  so- 
lemn and^momentous  truth,  that  "  the  end  of  all  things  is 
AT  HAND  ;"  and  that  we  should  not  forget  the  accompany, 
ing  injunction — "  he  soher,  and  watch  unto  'prayer.^'* 


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